• Menu
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
    • Instant Home Value
    • Market Snapshot
    • Robert’s buyer presentation online
  • Fort Lauderdale
  • Property Pages
  • Featured Partners
  • Blog

Sunshine Guru

Robert Darrow, Broker Associate

  • Menu
  • Home
  • Home Value
  • Development
  • Areas
    • Aventura
    • Coconut Creek
    • Cooper City
    • Coral Springs
    • Dania Beach
    • Deerfield Beach
    • Fort Lauderdale
      • Fort Lauderdale – Coral Ridge
      • Fort Lauderdale – Coral Ridge Country Club
      • Fort Lauderdale – Coral Ridge Isles and Coral Heights
      • Fort Lauderdale – Harbor Beach
      • Fort Lauderdale – Harbordale
      • Fort Lauderdale – Middle River Terrace
      • Fort Lauderdale – North Andrews Gardens
      • Fort Lauderdale – Rio Vista
      • Fort Lauderdale – Tarpon River
      • Fort Lauderdale – Victoria Park
      • Fort Lauderdale – Las Olas Isles, Seven Isles, East Fort Lauderdale Isles
    • Hallandale Beach
    • Hollywood
    • Imperial Point
    • Lauderdale by the Sea
    • Lauderdale Lakes
    • Lauderhill
    • Lighthouse Point
    • North Lauderdale
    • Oakland Park
    • Palm Aire in Pompano Beach
    • Pembroke Pines
    • Plantation
    • Pompano Beach
    • Sunrise
    • Tamarac
    • Weston
    • Wilton Manors
  • Schools
  • 55+

Five tips to follow to get your lowball offer accepted

It’s like clockwork – something bad happens that could potentially affect the real estate market, and buyers think it’s their time to start snagging up homes for dimes on the dollar. Investors buyers make a good living buying up real estate for wholesale prices and they consistently make up a small segment of purchasers. Unfortunately, that doesn’t mean that YOU, a traditional retail buyer, have what it takes to dabble in the play-space with the investors just because you think you’re in the driver’s seat.

Mind you, this post came about because colleagues were having a discussion about the topic recently as the buyers have all gotten it into their heads that this is the time that the market has fallen apart and real estate is obviously 50% off this summer. What do we need to tell our buyers that they may not be in a position to make such bargains, but if the situation were to present itself, what would they, or YOU, need to do to be ready for the deal of a lifetime.

There is a level of preparation, and knowledge, that is required to successfully negotiate a deal that is a significantly great deal. You will need to already know everything that there is to learn about that particular house. Not just houses in general. Houses in that neighborhood and of the same age. For your particular house you’ll need to know its history, potential problems that will come up, and things that the house will need.

This will not be the normal way you will go out and buy a home on the retail market. How do you know if you are shopping retail and not wholesale? Are you concerned about the results of a home inspection, and maybe you even want the seller to buy you a warranty? Are you getting an FHA, or a VA loan with a low-down-payment? Did you bring your parents, or other family members to come “take a look” at the house you’re thinking of buying? These are all indicators that you’re buying retail.

So what do you need to do to convince a seller that you’re a wholesale buyer that can make their problems go away?

Qualify yourself

You’re competing with other investors. Remember your seller could select another wholesale offer at the same price as you’ve offered. You’re going to want to make it clear that you have experience owning homes like this before. You know what service issues there are on houses this age, what those kinds of things cost, hidden time bombs, and the like. You know what you’re doing, and you’re the easiest person to sell to.

At the same time, you’re disqualifying everyone else who may NOT know what they’re doing. People who might come back with inspection issues, ask for credits for repairs, or even cancel the deal. Make your seller comfortable that this sort of thing doesn’t come along when doing a deal with you. The only thing that you’re concerned about is the price.

Volunteer commitment

You will want to say “I will pay this much for this house.” Not “I’ll probably…” or “After it all checks out…” or “Well if we can get through all this and eventually…” No. You want to deliver the message with absolute clarity that if you get the price you’ve settled upon, that you are ready to commit and close.

Eliminate your own outs

Once you’ve put it out there that you’re interested in the house for your price, you should be past the time when you need to “take another look,” “bring over another inspector,” “talk to your wife,” or worse “talk to the partners.” This is not to say that you shouldn’t do your due diligence. However you should have learned all that you need to know long before now. Bring your inspector during your first showing or second. You should already know that in the subdivision you’re looking within has cast iron waste lines from the 1960’s and that they’re all going bad right about now. You should already know that the old looking roof is going to cost $12,000 to replace with shingles or $25,000 with new tile.

Close quickly

There is nothing more satisfying, and exciting, than knowing that you have negotiated the deal of a lifetime. You need to have what is necessary to close the deal quickly. Your line of credit should have been arranged long ago, or the cash should already be in your bank. Remember, at this price, if the seller gets wind of a better offer coming, you could get dropped like a hot potato. Eliminate your competition.

Do not complain

You have eliminated your opportunity to keep asking questions. You can carry on friendly conversation, but make it clear that if the seller accepts your offer, they will not hear back from you, or your lawyers, ever again. Anything bad may, and probably will, but you’ve made it explicitly clear that this is the last that we will ever be interacting again.

If you’ve seen those home-made flyers stapled to light-poles all over your neighborhood that start of with “We buy ugly houses…” or “Cash for homes…” these are the guys you are competing with.  With a level of preparedness, it’s possible that you too, can work out a wholesale deal of a lifetime.

 

Posted in: Advice, Buyers, Commentary, Guides, Humor, Live The Dream, Marketwatch, Negotiation

Mixed emotions–Jealousy and Rage–about Rent Control

On the MyFace today I stumbled on an article about the now-famous Herbert J. Sukenik who lived in rent-controlled apartment overlooking Central Park.

http://www.celebritynetworth.com/articles/entertainment-articles/stubborn-tenant-holds-absolutely-insane-amount-money-finally-leave-rent-controlled-nyc-apartment/

Herb was a bit of a loner who moved into a small 350 square foot apartment back in 1974 and settled in for the long haul.

The short version of the article above was that a developer eventually paid Herb $17-million to move out of his apartment AND let him live in another $2-million apartment for the rest of his life at a newly negotiated LOWER rent of $1 – a month!    All this in order to be able to demolish the old structure on Central Park West for which they had purchased for $401-million and developed for $1-BILLION.

I would LOVE to be that guy!

Argh! Can you imagine?    You move into a little studio for $750 per month and eventually turn it into $17-million and a free apartment for life?   And you never put up a dime of your own money?     Amazing!

What kills me…

The whole notion of real estate ownership is that YOU (as the owner) should be allowed to do whatever you want – because it’s YOUR property.

It makes my entrepreneurial soul cringe when I hear that a property owner is losing $1800 a month because a rent-controlled apartment SHOULD be renting for $2500 a month but is rent-controlled at $700 a month.    Where’s the incentive to be a landlord?     How do you plan for improvements?    Besides the fact that you can’t afford to upgrade the apartment, nor why would you when someone is paying below-market rent….   But what if the building needs upgrades like an updated fire-safety system, or a new roof, or new elevators?

What would YOU do if you were in Herb’s shoes?

Or better yet, what would you do if you were in the OWNER’s shoes?

We don’t have rent-control in South Florida so this isn’t an issue that we have to deal with here.   In fact, I’d say that the climate is even more favorable for landlords and property owners in South Florida.    A lot of landlords let tenants rent on month-to-month leases, which are convenient for the tenants that need flexibility (or are deadbeats who are barely living month-to-month anyways) but it sure makes it easy for a landlord to give notice and move a tenant out of an apartment for nearly any reason.   In fact, on month-to-month leases here in Florida, without a longer notice written into a lease, the required notice is TWO WEEKS!    Yikes!

Posted in: Apartments, Commentary, Humor, Rant

I am officially declaring a moratorium on red walls when putting your house on the market

Nearly forever in the realm of Real Estate has the Red Accent Wall been the darling of would-be decorators and home owners that desire a little extra spice in their interiors.

Your Guide is officially declaring the era of the Red Dining Room and/or Red Powder Room over. At least when it comes time to sell.

Though the pop of color could be interpreted to “add some character” all too often it’s the wrong kind. Red isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. And it is VERY hard to cover up – or at least buyers perceive it as a challenge to cover up.

Invariably, these red rooms get passed on from homeowner to homeowner because no one has the courage or tenacity to apply layer upon layer of KILZ primer to undo the dastardly deed.

In the photo below, the third set of home owners is currently enjoying the sizzling red dining room (VHT did seem to go overboard with the color correction, nonetheless it is RED.)

Let’s all agree: Henceforth for a pop of color, we will add it with throw pillows, an accent blanket and a vase of roses!

1221 grace dining2 (Medium)

Red Dining 1

Red Kitchen 1

Red Bath 1

Posted in: Advice, Commentary, Humor, Rant, Sellers

Robert Darrow

Robert Darrow your Sunshine Guru

Keller Williams Realty
3696 N. Federal Highway
Ft. Lauderdale, FL, 33308
(954) 446-9001

Contact the team

View Robert Darrow's profile on LinkedIn

Real Estate Resources

  • Broward County Property Appraiser
  • Broward County Recorder's Office
  • Miami Dade Property Appraiser
  • Miami Dade Recorder of Deeds

Single Family Homes in:

  • Fort Lauderdale $1-million & up
  • Fort Lauderdale $100,000-$250,000
  • Fort Lauderdale $250,000 to $600,000
  • Fort Lauderdale $600,000 to $1-million
  • Oakland Park
  • Victoria Park over $1-million
  • Victoria Park up to $1-million
  • Weston $1.2-million & up
  • Weston $300,000-$700,000
  • Weston $700,000-$1.2-million
  • Wilton Manors

Townhomes & Condo's in:

  • Fort Lauderdale $1-million & up
  • Fort Lauderdale $100,000-$250,000
  • Fort Lauderdale $250,000-$600,000
  • Fort Lauderdale $600,000-$1-million
  • Oakland Park
  • Victoria Park over $1-million
  • Victoria Park up to $1-million
  • Weston
  • Wilton Manors
Client Reviews
2931372
"Bob was truly a pleasure to work with. We didn't have good luck with our previous realtor and with this being our first home we were buying we were ... more "
5.0/5.0
by bruiserboi7
2774807
"Robert did an excellent job listing and selling my condo. He was efficient, friendly, and professional at all times. This is one of the few times ... more "
5.0/5.0
by jjmagdic
2708728
"Robert is the absolute perfect realtor. He visited the condo, took photos, then, consulting us, arrived at a price. He aggressively marketed online ... more "
5.0/5.0
by brod307
© 2025 · Equity Framework
Log in
Manage Cookie Consent
To provide the best experiences, we use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us to process data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.
Functional Always active
The technical storage or access is strictly necessary for the legitimate purpose of enabling the use of a specific service explicitly requested by the subscriber or user, or for the sole purpose of carrying out the transmission of a communication over an electronic communications network.
Preferences
The technical storage or access is necessary for the legitimate purpose of storing preferences that are not requested by the subscriber or user.
Statistics
The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for statistical purposes. The technical storage or access that is used exclusively for anonymous statistical purposes. Without a subpoena, voluntary compliance on the part of your Internet Service Provider, or additional records from a third party, information stored or retrieved for this purpose alone cannot usually be used to identify you.
Marketing
The technical storage or access is required to create user profiles to send advertising, or to track the user on a website or across several websites for similar marketing purposes.
Manage options Manage services Manage {vendor_count} vendors Read more about these purposes
View preferences
{title} {title} {title}
 

Loading Comments...