How to Make an Offer on a House That's Been Sitting on the Market
You found a home that's been listed for 90-plus days and you're wondering — does that mean the seller is desperate, and should you come in low?
Not necessarily — and understanding why could be the difference between getting the home and losing it over a number that never had to be that low in the first place.
High Days on Market Doesn't Mean Desperate Seller
This is the assumption that gets buyers into trouble. A home sitting on the market for three months or more looks like leverage. It feels like the seller must be running out of patience, running out of options, ready to take whatever comes through the door.
But here's what's actually happening behind the scenes on a lot of these listings across Jacksonville, Duval County, St. Johns County, and Clay County right now: the seller is getting offers. Regularly. Investors are active across Northeast Florida, reaching out on a near-constant basis with below-market offers on homes that have been sitting. The reason the home is still available isn't that no one wants it — it's that the seller hasn't seen an offer worth accepting.
That's a very different situation than a seller with no options. A seller fielding weekly investor offers and turning them down isn't desperate. They're patient — and they're waiting for a buyer who takes their home seriously.
What Sellers of Longer-Listed Homes Are Actually Thinking
Spend any time working with sellers — as the CrossView Realty team does across Jacksonville, Orange Park, St. Augustine, and the surrounding communities — and a pattern becomes clear. Sellers whose homes have been on the market for an extended period aren't sitting there defeated. They're frustrated. Frustrated by low offers that feel like they're being taken advantage of, frustrated by buyers who seem to think time on market equals desperation.
When a seller in that mindset receives a lowball offer, the response is rarely a generous counter. It's a counter that comes back close to list price — not because the seller won't negotiate, but because they're reacting to what feels like an insult. The offer that was meant to create negotiating room ends up creating an adversarial dynamic instead.
Sellers who are truly ready to move will show you that through price reductions — meaningful ones, not minor adjustments. If a home has been sitting and the seller hasn't budged on price, that's information. It tells you they're not there yet, and a dramatically low offer isn't likely to change that.
How to Approach an Offer on a Home With High Days on Market
The right approach starts with data, not assumptions. Before you decide what to offer, your agent should pull recent comparable sales in the area — homes similar in size, condition, and location that have actually closed. That's what tells you where the market values the home, independent of what the seller is asking.
If the comparable sales support a price below list, your offer should reflect that — and your agent can present it with the data to back it up. That's not a lowball. That's a market-based offer, and sellers respond to those differently than they respond to a number that has no foundation.
If the comparable sales are close to the list price, that's important information too. It means the seller's expectations aren't as unreasonable as the days on market might suggest, and a significant discount offer is unlikely to go anywhere productive.
What to Include Beyond the Price
On a home that's been sitting, price matters — but it's not the only thing a seller is evaluating. Terms can be just as compelling as the number itself.
A clean offer with a reasonable closing timeline, minimal contingencies where appropriate, and a straightforward structure can move a seller who's grown wary of complicated deals that fall apart. Sellers who have watched a contract or two fail during their listing period are often more motivated by certainty than by squeezing out the last few thousand dollars.
Talk to your CrossView Realty agent about what terms might resonate with the specific seller situation before you finalize your offer. Sometimes the most effective offer isn't the highest one — it's the cleanest one.
The Bottom Line for Buyers in Northeast Florida
If you like a home, offer what it's worth — based on real data — and offer it with genuine intent to make the deal work. Don't let days on market convince you to throw a number at a seller that has no basis in the comparable sales. That strategy burns goodwill, creates adversarial negotiations, and often costs buyers the home they actually wanted.
The sellers sitting on longer-listed homes in Jacksonville and across Northeast Florida have options. They're choosing not to take them. Come in as a serious buyer with a defensible offer, and you have a real shot. Come in with a lowball, and you're likely just the next investor offer they're going to decline.
Thinking about making an offer on a home in Jacksonville, FL? Let CrossView Realty help you put together something smart. Give us a call at 904-503-0672, email us at info@crossviewrealty.com, or visit crossviewrealty.com. We know this market, and we'll help you come in with an offer that actually gets results.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I make a low offer on a house that's been sitting on the market in Jacksonville, FL? Not without comparable sales data to back it up. Homes with high days on market in Northeast Florida are often still receiving offers — primarily from investors making below-market bids that sellers are choosing to decline. A lowball offer from a buyer is likely to get the same response. Base your offer on what comparable homes have actually sold for, not on how long the listing has been active.
Q: How do I know if a seller will negotiate on a home that's been listed a long time? Watch the price history. Sellers who are genuinely motivated to move will show it through meaningful price reductions over time. If a home has been sitting for 90-plus days with no price change, the seller likely has a firm number in mind and isn't feeling the pressure buyers assume they are. Your agent can also gather context on the seller's situation that helps inform your approach.
Q: What makes a strong offer on a home with high days on market in Northeast Florida? A combination of a price grounded in comparable sales and clean, straightforward terms. Sellers who have watched deals fall apart during a long listing period often value certainty as much as price — a clean offer with a reasonable timeline and minimal complications can be more compelling than a higher offer with a lot of moving parts.
Q: How do sellers in Jacksonville, FL typically respond to lowball offers? With frustration more than flexibility. Sellers who feel their home is being undervalued — especially after months of investor lowballs — tend to counter close to list price rather than negotiating toward the middle. The adversarial dynamic that creates often kills deals that could have worked with a more reasonable opening offer.
