Up the ante...

The offer of $224,500 has increased. It's up to $231,000. Jeff and I wanted some more movement on their part before negotiations got serious. Verbally, Jeff and I agreed that we would counter with $257,000. I have 2 more showings, so I feel no pressure to have many significant deviations from my original asking price.

The neighbor's house should sell before any deal on my part. His is listed at a lower price, but I am not planning to undercut my competition. I want to set a new precedent for my house. When his house is sold, I will have that much more leverage and will be able to make that much more money.