Seller counter - Offer Price - $68,500 Earnest money - $1,500 (Certified check) Inspection days - 7 days Financing - Conventional Closing date - 9-9-13 Per diem - $100/day Question and note from seller: 1.

One owner counteroffered saying he had the right to sign a one year lease with a tenant for below market rent, renewable for another year after that, so I walked. 

We still have low inventory, but we see more DOM and more counter offers than we used to last summer. 

In the short term it's the same amount of money, but in the long run when she moves out next year and she gets her deposit back then you actually lost a half months rent.In summation, she wanted a better deal, and you counter offered by offering her an even better deal than she asked for?!? 

If it's a FSBO, and you've made an offer that was turned down, ask them to give you a counter offer.

In some seller's market, this is harder to do and might be less. however, in a buyer's market i would start with a 15% reduction...after a counteroffer, you know that the seller is willing to talk more on price rather than just rejecting your offer period.

If they counter, then if I sign their counter offer, the contract is binding.If its just a verbal from the listing agent then that never counts.The only exception to that process is with these govt sites.

Try to "narrowcast" a bit, don't get "paralysis by analysis", don't put in so many contingencies that you're going back and forth with 7 counter-offers (two round trips is all any Purchase Offer should ever make) and make 3 day closing" (cash) or "2 week closing" (loan) a part of every offer.People in "trouble" (motivated sellers) like to see a definite plan to end their pain.

We got a counter offer $1k below new listing price and we countered their off but found out that someone in that same office also put in an offer.  

It would be a good counter offer to present an addendum stating if they have timely payments and no lease violations as of the current end date, you agree to their short-term extension request for x months at an additional amount, $200/month or so.