SD Realtor, what do you think of this approach: find 3 houses you like, but don’t fall in love with one particular house. If you take the emotion out of it, you’re more able to walk away from a stubborn seller who won’t meet your price. So if you find 3 houses you really like, make an offer on #1 with a 24 hour expiration. If the offer is accepted, and/or compromises are reached, great. If not, make an offer on house #2 with 24 hour expiration, and so on. If you get caught in a multiple-bidder situation on any of your offers, withdraw. Wouldn’t a buyer get a better deal if he can be a bit more detached? So find 3 houses you love, instead of just one house you love.

I finally get what you’ve been saying all along about all the expired/cancelled/withdrawn. It measures the degree to which sellers are giving up. I think that next year, when the foreclosures keep rising, sellers won’t be able to give up. They’ll either need to sell or end up in foreclosure. I’m now seeing more bankruptcies, foreclosures, and tax liens, in the most prime areas of Poway.