- Honestly, in this market, sellers are acting like their houses are made of gold... unless you find a cracked foundation or a leaky roof, they’re just not interested in negotiating much.
- I’ve had inspectors throw out rough estimates, but a lot of times it’s more of a “watch this for the future” thing—which doesn’t help much when you’re trying to get credits now.
- My two cents: if it’s something big, push for it. But if it’s just little stuff, sellers know there’s five other buyers lined up anyway.
- Had one deal where the buyer wanted $2k for minor HVAC tweaks. Seller basically laughed and said, “good luck.” Buyer still closed. That’s Dallas right now.
It’s wild how much leverage sellers have right now. I get the frustration—when you’re dropping that much money, even small issues start to feel like a big deal. But yeah, unless it’s something major, most sellers just shrug and wait for the next offer.
I do wonder if buyers are hurting themselves by not pushing back at all, though. I had a friend who asked for $3k in closing credits for some electrical stuff. Seller refused, she still bought, but then ended up spending double later when it turned out worse than she thought. Maybe it’s better to risk losing the house than to take on a big unknown? Hard to say with how fast things move.
Inspections feel more like a formality these days... half the time you get that “monitor this” note and just have to hope for the best. Not sure if it’s worth fighting over minor stuff when there are backup offers lined up, but I’d definitely try to negotiate for anything structural or safety-related—even if it means getting creative with your offer.
One thing that helped me was getting my credit score up before starting the process. Better rates meant I could budget a little extra for repairs since sellers weren’t budging on price or credits. Not a fix for everyone, obviously, but in this market every little bit helps.
Dallas buyers need nerves of steel right now. If you do spot something big, don’t be afraid to walk—or at least make some noise about it. Otherwise, be ready to compromise or pay more down the line.
“Inspections feel more like a formality these days... half the time you get that ‘monitor this’ note and just have to hope for the best.”
Honestly, that’s been my experience too. When we refinanced last year, the inspector basically handed us a list of “future headaches” and shrugged. I get why people are nervous about pushing back, but skipping negotiation on major stuff is risky. If the foundation’s off or the roof’s ancient, I’d rather walk than gamble on a “deal.” Dallas prices aren’t forgiving, but neither are surprise repairs.
Totally get where you’re coming from. That “future headaches” list is all too real—
I’ve definitely felt that, especially when the inspector seems more like a messenger than an advocate. It’s tough to push back, but I’d rather risk losing a house than end up with a money pit. Sometimes it helps to ask for quotes on repairs before negotiating—takes some of the guesswork out. Dallas isn’t cheap, but neither are foundation fixes... trust your gut if something feels off.“the inspector basically handed us a list of ‘future headaches’ and shrugged.”
Sometimes it helps to ask for quotes on repairs before negotiating—takes some of the guesswork out. Dallas isn’t cheap, but neither are foundation fixes...
That “future headaches” list is basically the inspector’s way of saying, “Good luck, buddy.” I’ve been there—once had an inspector point at a crack in the wall and just say, “Well, that’s Texas for you.” Super helpful, right? I get wanting to walk away if things feel off, but sometimes I wonder if we’re all just chasing unicorns expecting a perfect house in Dallas.
Getting quotes before negotiating is smart, though. I learned the hard way—thought a roof patch would be a couple hundred bucks, turns out it was more like a small used car. Dallas prices are wild, especially when you factor in foundation stuff.
Curious—has anyone actually negotiated repairs with sellers here and had them cover anything major? Or is it always “as-is, take it or leave it”? Sometimes I feel like sellers in this market have all the power, but maybe I’m just jaded from too many open houses and not enough caffeine.
