5 Negotiations later.. I Got The Contract!

[Austin Hughes]

Wow, that was a doozie. This seller kept dragging everything on... wasn't certain, didn't really know what she wanted, and concealed some KEY information until the last negotiation. If I didn't know better, I'd say she was a seasoned pro! BUT, after two hours inside her mother's home, negotiating with the entire family there, I got a heck of a deal under contract tonight.

It was kind of a surreal experience. (Yes, I'm pretty new) But I wasn't nervous at all. There were so many obstacles I had to overcome just in today's negotiation. There are three books that I give the credit to:

1. How to Win Friends and Influence People: There were many issues we disagreed on. If I were to try and emphasize my point, it would have gone nowhere. Especially when I was trying to convince three generations of women. Instead, I stopped everything, and said this: "Let's not try and meet in the middle. I don't want to negotiate this and that. You tell me exactly what you would want. What would make you 100% satisfied with this situation?" That opened her up and allowed me to know exactly how to structure my new offer tonight based on her wants.

2. Proverbs: This is the book in the Bible where God shares his wisdom with King Solomon. It gave me a perspective in this deal that was the only reason I was able to close it. From the get go, I was completely honest with the seller and informed her of all of her options. I told her what my intentions were and genuinely wanted to help her. She had an offer for $4500 more than what we agreed on from another investor, but went with me instead, because of my caring and honesty. I know I will be blessed (even if I don't make money) if I follow God's principles.

3. Trump Style Negotiation: This book really surprised me. According to his lawyer, Trump doesn't play hard ball, but instead tries to find the true desires of all parties and satisfy their wants. The main things I got from here were these: First, when I knew I had reached a price I really liked, I didn't jump on it. I seemed hesitant, and made them convince me it was good. Second, I let them win every negotiation except for the ones I wanted to win. It was a give and take.

They say you make money when you BUY in real estate, and I got a smoking hot deal.

Thanks to all the BP members who have inspired me and given me ideas to put me here in my real estate investing business!