LandThink

Over the years in the land industry, I’ve seen some very peculiar methods of negotiating the deal. I’ve even tried a few and succeeded, and tried a few and fell flat on my face.

You are negotiating a real estate transaction and are trying to figure out how much it will cost to do the necessary work to close the transaction.

Land buyers should think about the first impression they make on sellers. It can determine whether a deal is reached and at what price. Here are two examples that illustrate the point.

Some years ago, I was ready to buy 200 acres of mostly pasture for $125,000.

Real-estate buyers and sellers are familiar with buyer-demanded contingencies, such as a home inspection or financing, which make the purchase depend on the buyer arranging or learning something to his satisfaction…

In earlier columns, I discussed how a buyer might use a contingency to get a seller to disclose information, and provide a warranty about some aspect of the property.