Resources · Making lowball offers that actually close
How to respond to a lowball offer on your house (and when to accept it)
Updated · by the LowBaller team
To respond to a lowball offer on your house, counter instead of ignoring it: restate your price with evidence, or offer better terms in exchange for a higher number. Before you decide, compare what each offer actually puts in your pocket after commissions, repairs, holding costs and credits, because the lowest price is not always the lowest net. This guide is written for sellers: how to counter, when a lowball cash offer is genuinely the better deal, a side-by-side net sheet, and how to tell a serious buyer from one who will waste your time.
A low offer is not an insult. It is information. It tells you what one buyer thinks the house is worth to them, as it sits, today. You decide what it is worth to you.
First, do not take a lowball offer personally
Many cash buyers price every house with the same formula: value, minus repairs, minus their costs and profit. A low number is the output of that formula, not a verdict on your home or on you. If you want to understand how these buyers think, read what a lowballer is.
Your market sets the context. Redfin reported in February 2026 that 62.2 percent of 2025 homebuyers paid less than list price, and the typical buyer who paid under list got a 7.9 percent discount. An offer 5 to 8 percent under is normal negotiation. An offer 20 percent under is a lowball, and it deserves a response, not necessarily a yes.
Also check your listing against the market. NAR's September 2026 report put the national median time on market at 33 days. If your home has been listed far longer than your local median, the low offers may be telling you something about the price.
How to counter a lowball offer
You have six ways to respond. Pick by how far the offer is from your price and how much time you have.
| Option | When to use it | What to say |
|---|---|---|
| Counter near your price, with evidence | The offer is low but the buyer seems serious | Recent sales on our street support $295,000. I can do $292,000. |
| Counter on terms | The gap is small and terms matter to you | I'll take $285,000 if we close in 30 days with no repair credits. |
| Ask for best and final | Only when you truly have other interest | We have other interest. Please send your best and final by Friday. |
| Ask how they got their number | You do not understand the price | Can you walk me through your number and the repairs you see? |
| Decline politely | Far below value or your payoff, with no reason | Thank you, we can't consider this price, but we'd welcome a revised offer. |
| Accept | The net is close, or speed is worth the gap | We accept, subject to proof of funds and a title company we agree on. |
Never ignore a written offer
Silence ends the conversation and teaches you nothing. A counter, even at full price, keeps the buyer engaged and can draw out their real number.
When a lowball cash offer is actually the better deal
A cash offer below list can net close to a higher retail sale once you count everything a retail sale costs, and it can be the better deal outright. It often is when one of these is true:
- The house needs repairs you cannot afford or do not want to manage.
- You are paying two housing costs, or carrying an empty house.
- You face a deadline: a foreclosure sale, a tax sale, a probate timeline or a job start date.
- You want certainty: no financing to fall through, no appraisal gap, no buyer who backs out after inspection.
- You are splitting the proceeds among heirs or co-owners who want one clean closing.
Net sheet: listed sale vs cash offer, worked example
Example: a $300,000 house that needs work. Option A is to fix it up, list it and sell retail. Option B is an as-is cash offer of $240,000, 20 percent under value. The numbers are illustrative; your costs will differ, and commissions are negotiable.
In this example the price gap is $52,000, but the net gap is about $12,860, and the cash sale pays about three months sooner. If the repairs cost $25,000 instead of $12,000, the cash offer nets slightly more. If the listing takes eight months instead of four, the gap shrinks to about $4,460.
Run the same net sheet on every offer you get, with your real numbers from a local agent or title company.
Worked example: what each option puts in your pocket
| Line item | Listed sale | As-is cash offer |
|---|---|---|
| Sale price | $292,000 | $240,000 |
| Commissions (5.5% example) | -$16,060 | $0 |
| Seller closing costs (1.5% example) | -$4,380 | -$3,600 |
| Repairs and prep before listing | -$12,000 | $0 |
| Inspection repair credits | -$4,000 | $0 |
| Holding costs at $2,100 a month | -$8,400 (4 months) | -$2,100 (1 month) |
| Net before paying off the mortgage | $247,160 | $234,300 |
| Time to cash | About 4 months | About 1 month |
How to spot a serious buyer (and a bad one)
A low price from a serious buyer can be worth more than a high price from one who will not close. Cash buyers are common: NAR's September 2026 report counted 27 percent of existing-home sales as cash, so you can afford to check every one.
About assignment: some cash buyers are wholesalers who put a house under contract and sell that contract to another investor. That is legal in many states, with rules that vary, but you deserve to know. Ask directly: will you be the one closing, or might you assign this contract?
| Check | Serious buyer | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Proof of funds | Recent bank or lender letter in the buyer's name | No proof, or proof in another name with no explanation |
| Earnest money | A meaningful deposit held by the title company | A token deposit, or a request that you pay them a fee |
| Who closes | A named title company or real estate attorney | Asks you to sign the deed over before closing |
| Inspection period | Short and specific, such as 7 to 10 days | Long or open-ended, with easy exits |
| Assignment | Explained up front if they may assign the contract | An unexplained and/or assigns clause |
| Communication | Answers questions and puts everything in writing | Pressure to sign today, or refuses to put terms in writing |
Watch for foreclosure rescue scams
If you are behind on payments, never sign your deed to anyone before a closing at a title company or attorney's office, and never pay a fee to stop a foreclosure. A HUD-approved housing counselor can review your options at little or no cost.
Should I accept a lowball offer?
Accept, or counter close to it, when the honest answers point that way:
- The net, after every cost, is within a few thousand dollars of your realistic retail net.
- You have a deadline the retail timeline cannot meet.
- The buyer passed every check: funds, deposit, title company and a short inspection.
- Holding the house costs you more each month than you expect to gain by waiting.
- A local agent or appraiser confirms the offer is not far from the as-is value.
- Otherwise, counter or decline: a house in good shape, priced in line with recent sales, with time on your side, does not need a lowball.
Why you get lowball offers, and what investors see
Investors find many owners through public records: foreclosure filings, tax delinquency, vacancy, probate and out-of-state ownership. That is why letters and calls often arrive soon after a filing.
To see the public signals on your own address the way an investor would, run LowBaller's free distress check. Homeowners can also remove their property from LowBaller's public pages at remove my info.
If you are facing foreclosure, check your state's foreclosure laws and talk to a local real estate attorney or housing counselor before you sign with anyone. For how cash and financed offers compare, see cash offer vs financed.
Frequently asked questions
Should I accept a lowball offer on my house?
Accept if the net, after commissions, repairs, holding costs and credits, is close to your realistic retail net, or if speed and certainty are worth the difference to you. Otherwise counter. Always verify proof of funds, the earnest money and the title company before you sign, and have an attorney review the contract.
How do you respond to a lowball offer without losing the buyer?
Counter in writing within a day or two, thank them, and give a reason for your number, such as recent nearby sales or recent upgrades. Offer a term they may value, like a quicker closing, in exchange for a higher price. Silence or an angry reply can end the conversation, while a counter keeps it going.
Is it better to take a cash offer or list my house?
It depends on your net and your timing. Listing usually brings a higher price, but commissions, repairs, holding costs and credits come out of it. A cash offer is lower but often faster and more certain. Build a net sheet for both with your real numbers and compare what you actually keep.
How do I know if a cash buyer is legit?
Ask for recent proof of funds in the buyer's name, a meaningful earnest money deposit held by a title company, and a named title company or attorney to close. Be wary of pressure to sign today, fees you must pay, or requests to sign your deed before closing. Have a real estate attorney review the contract.
Should I counter a lowball offer or ignore it?
Counter it. Ignoring a written offer ends the conversation and tells you nothing, while a counter, even at your full price, keeps the buyer engaged and can draw out their real number. The exception is an offer with obvious red flags, such as no proof of funds combined with pressure to sign immediately.
What is considered a lowball offer on a house?
On a listed home, an offer about 10 percent or more under list is generally treated as a lowball, and 20 percent or more almost always is. Redfin reported in February 2026 that the typical 2025 buyer who paid under list got 7.9 percent off, so offers well past that need a clear reason.
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