I would keep both financing and appraisal protection unless you can comfortably complete without them. Solid financing does not guarantee the property supports the loan amount. If the seller dislikes broad conditions, narrowing timelines may be safer than waiving the protections entirely.
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Offer 4% below asking on Hong Kong student housing?
- Thread starter alba_lending
- Start date
The practical order seems clear: establish your ceiling, submit the 4%-below offer with financing evidence and useful completion flexibility, inspect if accepted, and discuss credits only for newly identified issues. Meanwhile, have the deposit and exit wording checked before committing funds.
One unresolved point is what “student housing” means for this specific property. Before relying on that use in a yield calculation, verify the property documents, existing arrangements and any restrictions relevant to your plan. Don’t let a marketing description substitute for transaction due diligence.
When showing financing readiness, make sure the evidence matches the offered amount and expected timing. The seller mainly needs confidence that your flexibility is real. You can still state clearly that the offer remains subject to the financing and valuation terms written into it.
The least antagonising offer is usually the one that avoids commentary on the seller’s expectations. You don’t need to say that 86 days proves anything. Let the price reflect the time listed and condition; let your financing and flexible completion explain why the seller should engage.
I’d keep searching for completed transactions even after offering. Asking comparables tell you about current competition, not what buyers actually paid. If a counter arrives, completed evidence may be what prevents you from negotiating against the list price alone.
slow_journal
Homeowner
Prepare for three responses: acceptance, a counter, or no engagement. For a counter, decide in advance whether you will move on price, completion timing or both. Offering flexibility everywhere at once makes it difficult to know which concession actually matters to the seller.
alba_lending
Property investor
Thanks all. I’m going to open 4% below asking, keep the explanation limited to condition and incomplete completed-sale evidence, provide appropriate financing proof, and offer flexibility on completion. I won’t request repair credits before inspection. Financing, valuation, inspection and deposit exposure will remain subject to acceptable wording rather than being waived for presentation.
That sounds balanced. When the counter comes, ask whether it is simply a price response or whether completion timing could bridge part of the difference. Since flexibility is one of your strengths, use it deliberately rather than giving it away without learning the seller’s preference.
Before signing any counter, revisit the appraisal-gap number. A higher agreed price can increase both the purchase cost and the cash needed if valuation falls short. Put an actual personal limit on that combined exposure rather than deciding under deadline pressure.
And keep the final decision tied to total cost: agreed price, updating and any gap you must fund. If the seller will not move enough for those numbers to work, the cleanest negotiating position is being willing to stop—not stripping out the protections that made the offer sensible.