MAKING "CLEAN" OFFERS
You are in the market to buy a home and you found a house that's ideal for you - it is in the right location and meets all your "needs" and "wants". The price is the only thing that is keeping you from making an offer, because you feel that it is more than you can afford... how can you improve the odds of the Seller accepting your offer (that is much lower than their asking price)?
In addition to a market justification for a low offer (which your REALTOR can provide) an important strategy you should use is to make your offer as "clean" as possible by not asking for special conditions or contingencies.
Each situation is different, but the "cleaner" and more "solid" your offer is, the more likely the sellers are to accept it!