Last updated October 27, 2026
The hard part of selling a house isn’t always finding a buyer. Sometimes it’s keeping a good one when something threatens the closing. At 861 Country Glen Drive in Imperial, we advertised at $225,000, accepted $236,500, cut a $4,000 inspection request to $2,000, and nearly lost the deal when the seller’s own contractors didn’t finish the occupancy work. Step into my seat, make the calls, then read how each one played out.
The seller’s team does the work. This seller was an investor I’d represented on many transactions, and he had his own contractors and people responsible for the renovation and repairs.
Because we worked together often, I provided my services at a reduced rate that reflected the volume of transactions we completed. My job was focused on marketing and selling the property and quality-checking the renovations so the finished home met market expectations. I wasn’t managing his renovation operation.
That distinction matters. With a typical homeowner, I’m often directly involved in helping coordinate repairs and occupancy requirements. On this sale, the seller’s team was responsible for executing that work. My job was to position the house, attract a qualified buyer, negotiate the transaction and help bring it to closing.
Because of how buyers respond to asking prices. For about six years I’ve studied comparable homes’ original asking prices next to what they finally sold for, not just the sold number.
The asking price sets expectations. A buyer shopping at $225,000 may respond differently to a house than someone shopping at $240,000, even when both could consider the same home. If the condition, updates and features exceed what they expected at the asking price, that can make them willing to offer more. We advertised at $225,000 and accepted $236,500, a 5.1% premium. What 2026 sales show about pricing →
$236,500 on May 22, 2024, with a preapproval letter, a 10-day inspection period and a June 20 closing date. Their agent described the inspections as being for their knowledge only, with no seller repairs anticipated.
In follow-up correspondence, the agent explained that the buyer and members of his family were contractors and were comfortable handling property-condition concerns, even potential foundation issues. That was an important part of evaluating the offer: $11,500 over the advertised price from buyers who said they weren’t looking for repairs. We accepted on May 23.
A $4,000 seller-paid closing-cost credit, backed by two contractor estimates, on May 29. That was very different from the expectations described with the original offer.
The two base estimates totaled about $3,800. I didn’t accept them as proof that the seller owed $4,000.
No. The request came with contractor bids, not a home inspection report, and those serve different purposes.
A home inspector provides the first layer: evaluating the home’s accessible systems, identifying visible concerns and documenting what was found. When an inspection turns up something specialized, like possible structural movement, a qualified contractor or structural engineer may be needed to look further. A contractor is generally hired to evaluate a particular issue and quote the work they believe should be done, and they’re working for the party that hired them.
I’m not suggesting contractors are dishonest. It means I want to separate a documented condition, an opinion about how serious it is and a proposed scope of repair. The foundation proposal here addressed one specific crack. It wasn’t a structural engineering report showing widespread foundation failure, and on our side we believed the foundation concern was overstated. What a St. Louis home inspection covers →
We negotiated a $2,000 closing-cost credit instead of $4,000. The buyer’s agent sent the revised amendment May 30, and both sides had signed and resolved the inspection notice by May 31.
The goal wasn’t to dismiss every concern. It was to reach a reasonable agreement on the information we had while protecting the seller’s result. The $2,000 was a practical negotiation outcome, not an admission that every repair recommendation was justified.
We still had a $236,500 contract. After the $2,000 credit, the price less that concession was $234,500, before commissions and other selling costs. Compared with the $225,000 advertised price, that was a result worth protecting. How repair requests get negotiated →
The closing came under threat. The fire-occupancy inspection had failed, and the items had to be corrected and pass reinspection before closing, but the investor’s contractors weren’t moving with the urgency the deadline required.
On June 13 I forwarded the inspection information and stressed that the work needed attention. By June 17 the failed items were still outstanding. By June 18 we were still struggling to get someone to do the repairs. The buyers expected to close June 20, and we didn’t have occupancy approval. That was a much more serious problem than the $2,000 negotiation.
When an unfinished requirement can cost them the buyer. I told the investor that if he couldn’t get his contractors on board and finish the work, we were going to lose the deal.
We had a qualified buyer, a $236,500 contract and a resolved inspection. I wasn’t interested in going back on the market because his team wasn’t treating the closing requirements with urgency. Relisting meant new showings, another buyer, another negotiation and another round of uncertainty, with no guarantee of a better net result. The problem wasn’t the price. It was getting the seller’s team to finish what needed to be done.
The house passed its fire-occupancy reinspection on June 20, 2024, closing day, and the sale closed and funded that day.
On June 19, the buyer’s agent contacted the fire inspection office directly: repairs were being finished that evening and closing was the next morning, and the buyers wanted the house reinspected first. Their side also asked for documentation to protect them if approval didn’t come before funding. At the same time, we were coordinating the sewer-lateral documentation and making sure the right exemption letter was delivered. The investor, contractors, buyers, agents, transaction coordinators, title company and fire inspection office were all involved.
The final walk-through and possession agreement also set a deadline with a $300 seller-to-buyer payment if it was missed. We hit the deadline, so the $300 was never paid. This is why I don’t leave occupancy requirements to the last minute: scheduling contractors and reinspections takes time, and a closing date doesn’t make everyone else available.
A $236,500 sale on a $225,000 advertised price. After the $2,000 inspection credit, that’s $234,500, before commissions, other closing costs, taxes and any mortgage payoff.
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Advertised asking price | $225,000 |
| Sale price | $236,500 |
| Above asking | $11,500 (5.1%) |
| Buyers’ inspection-credit request | $4,000 |
| Negotiated inspection credit | −$2,000 |
| Possession-deadline payment (deadline met) | $0 |
| Sale price less the inspection credit | $234,500 |
The $234,500 isn’t the seller’s net proceeds. It’s the sale price less the inspection credit. What will I net selling my house? →
Price on how buyers respond, treat estimates as information, make sure your own people meet the deadlines, and protect a good contract once you have it.
On evidence of how buyers behave. I study comparable homes’ original asking prices next to what they sold for, because the asking price sets what buyers expect. Country Glen was advertised at $225,000 and sold for $236,500, but list price alone didn’t decide that: the house’s appeal and the agreement we negotiated did too.
No. A quote identifies proposed work and its cost. It doesn’t necessarily establish how serious a problem is or that every proposed repair is needed. We treated the buyers’ estimates as information to evaluate, not an automatic $4,000 obligation.
Yes. Having contractors isn’t enough; the seller needs people who understand the deadlines and take required work seriously. When the occupancy work didn’t happen promptly, a strong sale came close to falling apart.
When you already have a strong agreement. We had negotiated the price and the inspection credit. The remaining priority was getting the house approved and closing with the buyer we had, not starting over.
Should a seller rely on a buyer saying inspections are for information only?
Not on its own. What counts is the written contract. Here the buyers described their inspections as for their knowledge only, then requested a $4,000 credit during the inspection period, which the contract allowed.
What happens if a house fails its occupancy inspection before closing?
The failed items have to be corrected and the house has to pass reinspection before the buyers can take occupancy. Here the reinspection passed on closing day, after the buyers’ agent asked the fire inspection office to reinspect before closing and requested protective documentation.
Who handles occupancy repairs when an investor sells?
Usually the investor’s own team. On this sale my role was marketing, selling and quality-checking the renovation; the investor’s contractors were responsible for the occupancy work.
More in this series: Lessons From a Sale · $15,000 over asking with no competing offer · Four offers, a low appraisal and a close at $271,000 · Related: How I work with sellers · Price reduction after inspection · Imperial
Grew up in South St. Louis, lived in Dogtown for 6 years, now in South County. You’ll find us at Wellspring on Lindbergh on Sundays. I'm not selling you a house — I'm showing you how to think about buying or selling a house.