How Much Should You Offer on a House?

No. It suggests a starting offer, a target negotiation range and a competitive ceiling based on the numbers you enter. That is decision support, not an appraisal, an automated valuation or a prediction of what the seller will accept. Your agent's local knowledge and your own limits come first.

It starts from your comparable value, the comparable sales you entered, or the asking price if you have neither. It then subtracts repair costs only to the extent that value doesn't already reflect the home's condition. If your comps needed similar work, nothing is subtracted, because doing so would count the repairs twice.

Conservative opens below the as-is value by a starting discount, and Competitive goes above it by a ceiling premium. Both depend on the competition level, adjusted by days on market, price reductions and relisting. Balanced is the midpoint. Every percentage is a visible, editable assumption in Advanced mode.

Tick "I don't have comparable sales" and the asking price becomes the reference. You'll still get scenarios, but the input-quality score drops and appraisal risk can't be estimated. A comparable value from recent nearby sales is a more independent reference than the asking price alone.

Tick "I'm unsure about repairs" and no repair deduction is made. The analysis lowers its input-quality score and recommends keeping inspection protection. The repair presets (minor, moderate, major) are rough, editable illustrations, not cost estimates for your home.

It's the difference between your offer price and the appraised value. If the appraisal comes in below your offer, lenders generally base financing on the lower figure, which can increase the cash you need or force a renegotiation with the seller.

There's no fixed percentage that works everywhere. Start from what comparable sales say the home is worth as-is, then let competition and time on market set the gap. With this calculator's defaults, a normal-competition listing opens about 3% below as-is value, and a stale listing with a price cut opens further below, capped at 10%. A home priced above its comps is a stronger candidate for a lower offer than a fresh listing in a competitive market.

It can be, depending on how the asking price compares to comparable sales, how long the home has been on the market, its condition and how much competition exists. A home priced above its comps that has sat on the market in a slow market is a more common candidate than a fresh listing in a hot one.

Only when comparable sales support it and there is real competition, such as multiple offers. In low or normal competition this calculator never goes above asking. In high competition or with multiple offers, the competitive ceiling can, but your own maximum comfortable price always caps your walk-away price. Any amount above the appraised value usually has to be covered in cash.

Subtract repairs only to the extent comparable sales don't already reflect the home's condition. If the comps needed similar work, their prices already account for it. If they were updated and this home isn't, deduct the repair estimate plus a contingency. Repairs come off as dollars, not as a percentage, and you still need cash for the work itself.

Earnest money varies by market and price point, commonly 1–3% of the offer price, and sometimes more in competitive markets. It signals seriousness. Check with your agent about local norms.

Contingencies (inspection, financing, appraisal) protect you if something goes wrong, but each one can make your offer less attractive to a seller weighing multiple bids. The calculator scores seller appeal and your protection separately so you can see the trade-off. It never recommends waiving a protection by default.

It affects your monthly cost, cash to close and how strong your financing looks to a seller, but not the home's as-is value. Use the maximum comfortable price to keep your scenarios anchored to what you can afford.

Signs of a seller's market include homes selling quickly, multiple offers and sale prices at or above asking. A buyer's market shows longer time on market, price reductions and more room to negotiate. Pick the closest match under "Market competition".

Your inputs are kept in this browser on this device, along with the methodology version used, so you can pick up where you left off. If you sign in and choose Save, the numeric inputs are also saved to your Reaixo account. The property address and comp addresses stay on your device. Nothing else is sent to Reaixo unless you choose to email yourself the analysis, request a review or order a report. Reset clears the on-device copy.

Yes, the same value and scenario logic applies to any residential purchase. Investors may also want a full property analysis for rent, cap rate and cash-flow projections.