Quick Answers
From my listing experience and 2,865 closed single-family sales in St. Louis County, January 1–October 5, 2026, measured against each home’s original list price.
Should I accept the first offer on my house?
It depends on your strategy. If you listed at the top of the market and the offer hits your goals, absolutely. But I wouldn’t accept an offer the first evening. Give yourself 24 to 48 hours, because the first offer usually comes from the most motivated buyer, not the only one. In 2026, homes that sold within 4 days got a median 104% of their original list price. How I handle the first offer →
Should I accept an offer below asking price?
Look at how long you’ve been on the market. In 2026, homes that sold within 4 days got a median 104% of original list; by two weeks the median was right at list; after 60 days it was 93.4% or less. A below-asking offer in your first weekend says something different than the same offer on day 70. See the 2026 table →
Should I accept an offer contingent on the buyer selling their house?
I’ve always recommended waiting for other offers. Sellers who accept these are typically priced wrong; the buyer is paying list price or more to buy the risk. If you have to take one, the ideal case is a buyer whose home is already under contract and past inspections. Home-sale contingencies →
Should I accept an FHA or VA buyer?
Judge the buyer, not just the loan. FHA and VA appraisals hold the property to a higher safety standard than conventional, but the real risk is always the individual buyer. VA buyers generally have much more room to get a loan commitment than FHA buyers. FHA and VA buyers →
Should I agree to a rent-back or delayed move-out?
If you need one, ask for it, but know the buyer may charge for that risk in price, concessions or rent. Put everything in writing and keep the original contract’s walk-through intact. And don’t require one up front: I’ve seen it keep offers from coming in at all. How I handle rent-backs →
How I Handle the First Offer
It depends on the strategy. If you listed at the very top of the market and the offer hits your goals, absolutely take it.
But context matters. If you’re on the first evening and an offer comes in, I wouldn’t accept it that night. As your listing agent, I call and text the buyers who have already shown the house and the ones scheduled to. You deserve time to look at the offer and think about it, too. I generally ask the buyer’s agent to give us 24 to 48 hours to respond.
It’s not about the first offer. It’s about the motivated buyer. In my experience, the first offer usually comes from the most motivated buyer, and ironically, in a multiple-offer situation they usually end up winning. Not always, but most of the time it’s the buyer from the first or second evening, assuming the home was listed on a Thursday.
What 2026 Sales Say About Early Offers
The early offers are usually the strongest ones. Here’s how 2,865 St. Louis County sales in 2026 finished against their original list price, by how long they took to sell:
| Days on market | Sales | Median sale vs. original list | Sold above original list |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 days | 990 | 104.0% | 78.7% |
| 5–7 days | 319 | 102.0% | 61.1% |
| 8–14 days | 277 | 100.0% | 31.4% |
| 15–30 days | 378 | 97.6% | 26.5% |
| 31–60 days | 508 | 97.4% | 24.8% |
| 61–90 days | 186 | 93.4% | 11.8% |
| 91+ days | 204 | 88.0% | 5.4% |
The first week carried the market. After two weeks, the median sale was right at list; after 60 days, 93.4% or less. That’s why I don’t treat a strong first-weekend offer as a sign you underpriced. It’s usually the market telling you what it will pay. More on what waiting costs →
How to Compare Two Offers
The highest price isn’t always the best offer. When two offers are on the table, I line up what each one actually puts in your pocket and how likely it is to close:
- Net, not price. Subtract any closing-cost help the buyer asked for. A $300,000 offer with $6,000 in seller-paid costs nets about the same as $294,000 with none, and the higher price still has to appraise.
- The buyer, not just the loan type. Who is the lender, and how strong is the approval?
- Contingencies. Inspection, appraisal and financing timelines, and whether the offer depends on the buyer selling a home.
- Earnest money. How much is at stake for the buyer if they walk away outside their contingencies.
- Appraisal protection. Whether the buyer will cover a gap if the house appraises low.
- Timing. Closing date, and any rent-back you need or they asked for.
Run each one through the net calculator before you decide.
Home-Sale Contingencies
I’ll put it nicely: sellers who accept this type of offer are typically priced wrong. The buyers are generally paying list price or more to buy the risk.
If the buyer’s home is listed, the risk is how long it takes to get under contract. Once it’s under contract, the risk doubles, because now two deals have to close. That’s why I’ve always recommended sellers wait for other offers in this case. These offers are also great leverage with other buyers.
If you have to take a home-sale contingency, the ideal scenario is a buyer whose home is already under contract and past inspections. Before you accept, your listing agent should run a market analysis on the buyer’s home and talk directly with the buyer’s listing agent.
Buying with a home to sell yourself? The buyer’s side of a home-sale contingency →
FHA and VA Buyers
FHA and VA loans hold the property to a higher standard than conventional loans. In essence they use the same guidelines, and those guidelines are about safety: peeling paint, handrails, roofs and electrical panels can all come up on the appraisal. What can come up on a VA appraisal →
But the risk is always the individual buyer. FHA and VA don’t have the same underwriting requirements for the buyer, and there’s much more room for a VA buyer to get a loan commitment than an FHA buyer. Look at the buyer’s file and lender as closely as the loan type.
Rent-Backs and Delayed Move-Outs
This one is “if this, then that.” If you need a rent-back, ask for it. But risk cuts both ways in a transaction. A rent-back is a risk for the buyer, and you may have to pay for it in price, concessions or rent. I’ve had several in the past few years.
If you’re doing one, the best way is everything in writing:
- Stay true to the original sales contract, especially the walk-through and damages.
- The buyer doesn’t get a second walk-through after the rental period to change a sale that already closed.
- Move-out falls under the rental period. Define in writing what the seller is responsible for.
- Once the contract closes, it doesn’t get negotiated again.
I’ve also seen a rent-back cut the wrong way. Sellers required it, and offers never came in the door. Once they removed it, showings picked up and generated a contract within a weekend.
More Questions Sellers Ask About Offers
Comparing offers
How do I compare two offers with different contingencies?
Compare what each one nets you and how likely it is to close: price minus any seller-paid costs, the buyer’s loan and lender, inspection and appraisal terms, any home-sale contingency, earnest money and the closing date. How I compare offers →
What if the buyer asks me to pay their closing costs?
Compare it on net. A $300,000 offer with $6,000 in seller-paid costs nets about the same as $294,000 with none, but the higher price still has to appraise. Homes that sell over asking rarely give closing-cost help unless there’s a major repair. Run your net →
Is a higher offer always better than a lower cash offer?
Not always, but cash has to earn its discount. Compare the cash offer’s net against a financed offer’s net and closing risk before you take less. What you give up with a cash offer →
Can a home-sale contingency offer help me with other buyers?
Yes. It’s great leverage. Another buyer who knows there’s an offer on the table often moves faster and cleaner. Home-sale contingencies →
After you accept
Can I keep the earnest money if the buyer walks away?
Typically, no. Most buyers who walk away do it during their contingencies, and the earnest money goes back to them. The exception is a buyer who fails to meet their contingencies or doesn’t perform on the contract. In those cases my sellers have kept the earnest money, tens of thousands of dollars of it over the years. Either way, it moves by mutual agreement: the form is called a mutual release, and both the buyer and the seller sign it. It’s a contract, so both sides have the right to ask the other to perform. If the two sides don’t agree, Missouri law (RSMo 339.105.4) requires the broker holding it to turn it over to the State Treasurer’s Unclaimed Property Division within 365 days of the original closing date.
What happens if the appraisal comes in low?
The buyer’s lender lends on the appraised value, so the gap has to be solved. You can lower the price, the buyer can cover the difference in cash, you can meet in the middle, or the contract can end if the buyer has appraisal protection. VA appraisals have their own process. VA appraisal options →
Should I agree to repair requests after inspection?
From the seller’s side, a credit usually beats a repair. When I represent a seller, I’m reducing risk and making sure the deal closes, and a credit settles the item without contractor work holding up closing. After inspection, concessions typically run $2,000 to $8,000. Sort the buyer’s list into deal-breakers, negotiating points and the house being a house before you answer. Credit, price reduction or repair →
Have an Offer in Front of You?
Send it to me. I’ll line it up against the market and your net and tell you whether I’d accept, counter or wait.
I’m not selling you a house. I’m showing you how to think about buying or selling a house.
The Closing Pros LLC
Licensed Missouri Real Estate Brokerage
Office: 314-998-4550 · George’s Direct Line: 314.435.1087
Sales data: 2,865 closed single-family sales in St. Louis County, January 1–October 5, 2026, MARIS MLS. Positions are George’s own experience as a listing agent. Market conditions vary.