10/21/2026
There are two ways I can answer your questions about buying a home. There is the careful version, and there is the version I would give a friend.
The careful version is technically correct. The friend version is the one that saves you money.
The friend version sounds like this. That house is priced for what the sellers need for their next purchase, not for what this one is worth. The listing you keep scrolling past has a bad photographer and a good roof. And “we’ll just wait until spring” has a real cost. It is just spread out in pieces small enough that nobody feels it.
None of that is rude. It is simply the part most people never hear, because the careful version is safer to say. So here are a few things I would tell you as your friend.
The open house is for the neighbors, not the buyers
Unpopular opinion, but it is true more often than not. Walk into most open houses on a Sunday afternoon and you will find curious neighbors checking out the kitchen, people just starting to think about moving, and a few folks who like to look.
Serious buyers tend to see a home through a private showing with their own agent. They get time to ask questions, open closets, and look at the house without a crowd.
So if you skipped an open house, you did not miss your chance. And if you are selling, an open house is a nice extra, not the whole plan. The real work happens in pricing, photos, and getting the right buyers through the door.
The “ugly” house often has the best bones
Nobody tells you this, but the house that looks tired in the listing photos is often the smartest buy on the street.
Dated wallpaper, old carpet, and a brass chandelier scare a lot of buyers away. That means less competition and more room to negotiate. Meanwhile, the things that actually matter, like the roof, the foundation, the layout, and the lot, can be in great shape.
When I look at a house, I try to look past the decor and ask a simple question. Is this a good house wearing bad clothes? If the answer is yes, that is often where the value is.
Paint is cheap. Moving a wall is not.
Paint, carpet, and light fixtures are the cheapest improvements you will ever make to a house. A weekend and a modest budget can change how a room feels completely.
Moving a wall is a different story. Once you get into structure, plumbing, or electrical, you are talking about permits, contractors, and costs that grow fast.
So when you tour homes, sort what you don’t love into two buckets. Things you can change with a paint roller go in one. Things that need a contractor go in the other. Fall in love with the layout and the location, because those are the hardest things to change.
Ask what the sellers are doing next
This is one of the most useful questions you can ask before making an offer.
A seller with somewhere to go will negotiate. Maybe they already bought their next home, took a job in another city, or have a timeline they need to hit. They are motivated to get to the closing table.
A seller with nowhere to go will wait you out. If they are testing the market to see what they can get, there is little pressure on them to meet you in the middle.
Knowing which kind of seller you are dealing with shapes everything, from your offer price to the terms you ask for. It is part of what I dig into before you put a number on paper.
Want the friend version on a home you’re eyeing?
If your agent only ever gives you the careful version, you are getting half of what you are paying for.
So here is my offer. Send me a listing you have your eye on in NM or CO, and I will tell you exactly what I would tell a friend. The good, the not so good, and what I would do next if I were in your shoes. No pressure and no obligation, just an honest take.
