We are trying to sell our home and move back near family. We have been away for 3 years and are extremely homesick. We hate our jobs. We don't have any friends or children. We are depressed. And we will do whatever it takes to leave here as soon as possible. The house has been on the market since Feb. My contract for my job was up in June, so ideally wanted to sell the house in the early summer and get home late summer.

Well as a result of the housing market, it has been extremely slow going. We have only had 2 serious inquiries since Feb and one has already fallen through. The other is a couple that looked at our house last Sunday. They came and were extremely interested. They are an older couple and live in Texas in the winter months only. Her brother will be the one to actually buy the house, but they will be living in it 75 % of the time.

Our asking price for the house is X. They called night before last and made us and offer 4,000 less than X. We told them we would think and call back. The issue was to haggle or to take the offer straight away. We discussed it. I wanted to take the offer and run. We have been miserable in this place and swore we would take a hit if we had to in order to leave. This is a hit, but it is only a 4,000 hit. I wanted to take it. Hubby wanted to take it. We were in total agreement. Then I decided to talk my husband into calling his parents while I called mine and asked for advice from them. His parents said haggle, it can't hurt, worst case scenario they say no and you have to take 4000 less than X. My parents said the opposite. They said take it and run, this is not a market to haggle in. We used our realtor as a tie breaker. He said the same thing hubbys parents said, it can't hurt. Hubby changed his mind and went with his parent's view. So I was out numbered and that was fine, I was still confident about it.

So we call them back and ask us if they will meet us in the middle at 2000 less than X. They said they would think and call back.

They called the next night and said that the first offer of 4000 less than X is off the table. They will now only offer 9000 less than X. I am talking to the older man as a middle man for his wife's brother that will actually be buying the house. The man told me he thought our counter offer was fair and advised his brother in law to take it, but said that he was a "bulldog" and wanted to pay us in cash and that was what he was willing to pay now.

I am devastated. We should have taken it and ran. We blew it.

Now the question is whether or not we should take the offer now of 9000 less than X or say no we will not take that, but we will take your previous offer (now off the table) of 4000 less than X

Hubby and I hold opposite views. I think we made a huge mistake not taking the first offer. I think we should learn our lesson in this and just take the 9000 less than X so we can finally move and be rid of this horrible place that has held us hostage and exacerbated my mental health issues. He thinks that if we just tell this guy that we will go no lower than 4000 less than X, then they guy will put his previous offer back on the table and make a deal with us. I can't believe he doesnt want to leave here enough to take a 5000 hit. I thought we were together on that. I am astounded.
I don't think the guy will take it. I think he is playing with us, and after talking with my mom about it, I'm not entirely conviced that this guy is serious about buying the house at all. He sounds like he is just fishing for the cheapest house he can get.
Hubby has given me the power in the situation to have the final say. I just know that it will be held over my head if I happen to be wrong about this.

If I choose to take the offer of 9000 less than X, we are clear of our mortgage and fees, and will have more than enough to move and start over again. If we don't take it and the guy won't pay us his first offer (which I don't think he will) then we are trapped here once again until someone else wants it enough to buy it, and we could be stuck here for up to a year or more longer. That makes me want to curl up and die just thinking about it.

Please.. any advice would be greatly appreciated. We have to get back to them tonight.