Purchase Contract Negotiations
A good friend of mine is extremely successful negotiating purchase contracts. He buys a lot of investment property, so he's had a lot of practice. But, his process can be applicable to any purchase. Here's his secret.
He always makes 3 offers - that's right 3. The terms of each are slightly different in order to find out what the seller really wants.
For example, he'll make a "cash, as is" offer, genuinely a low ball price and/or quick sale. Then he'll make a more typical offer conditional upon financing, sale of home, etc. - genuinely still a low price. Finally, he'll make a full priced offer contingent upon seller financing at 1%, X$ in repairs to be made, include all furniture, etc. He lets the seller know that he can be flexible too if he/she wants to mix and match the offers.
Now, the interesting part happens when he gets the counter offers. Sometimes, he'll get one accepted and he's ready to act on all of them - that is key. Normally, though, the seller focuses on the areas that are important to him/her in the counter proposal. A quick sale, a higher price, conditional or unconditional terms, etc. Once he knows the seller's hot buttons, he focuses his next counter in those areas and genuinely gets a better deal for himself and the seller than if he'd just made a single offer.
Now, if you're not comfortable doing this yourself, find a Smart agent that has experience in this area and they can help you negotiate the best deal on your next purchase.