An offer you CAN refuse

Well, it only took 36 days to get an offer on our house (a report I read states the average number of days a house stays on the market in Minneapolis is 150+, so we thought this was a pretty good sign). We had a showing Tuesday, followed by a 2nd showing with the same party on Wednesday. And by Wednesday night, we had an offer! I won't get into the nitty gritty dirt of the details - because it makes me sad - but I can tell you the offer equated to $26,900 less than our asking price (a combination of a low-ball offer, PLUS the buyer wanting us to pay 6% of their closing costs). Momma and Stew wanted to counter-offer by inviting the other party to take his bullshit offer and deposit it firmly up his rectal cavity. Instead, our agent talked us off the ledge and encouraged us to counter-offer with a monetary incentive. So, we dropped our price by a whopping $2,000. On Thursday morning, we were given word that the other party "couldn't go that high on price." Shocking!

Based on previous postings I've written concerning the real estate industry, it's obvious I don't fully grasp how this industry operates. Frankly, I find real estate to be a riddle, wrapped in a mystery that's shoved inside a (smelly) enigma. But basic logic - plus my superior math skills - tells me that if I have 10 Milkbones to spend on a doghouse, then I probably shouldn't be looking at doghouses with price tags of 15 Milkbones or higher. Additionally, doesn't my agent have a responsibility to do all he/she can to dissuade me from wasting time looking at doghouses beyond my Milkbone means (and perhaps this other agent did just that but has a difficult buyer... I'll never know for sure)? Don't get me wrong. I can understand looking at an 11- or 12-Milkbone priced doghouse in the assumption the seller might be willing to come down a morsel on price. But in doggie economics, $26,900 equates to ruff-ly 10 Milkbones, which is quite a mouthful, despite the dropping value of the U.S. dollar! Now, we realize our doghouse isn't the frickin' Taj Mahal. Let's face it - we live in Robbinsdale, our house isn't exactly unique, a single-car garage isn't on the top of a lot of people's lists, and there are literally hundreds of similar houses on the market that are located in very similar neighborhoods that are listed at 1+ Milkbones less than ours. Regardless... I remain an angry, confused pooch.

So, to get myself out of this funk, I'm going to Costco with Stew and Claire to buy golfballs. Stew's going golfing with Uncle Kermit tomorrow morning, so it appears neither of them support the troops as much as President Bush (who says he gave up golf during "war time"). But neither Kermit nor Stew has golfed at all this year, so if you plan to be anywhere near Hiawatha Country Club in Minneapolis between 9:30am and 2:00pm Saturday, allow me to give you a word of advice: DUCK!