If you're hunting for a bargain in a re-sale home, take heart. Good deals really can be found out there!

For starters, look for a house with poor housekeeping.

Ragged lawn, overgrown shrubbery, dull windows. And inside, lots of clutter, noisy kids, romping dogs, piles of laundry and a tv set that isn't turned off while you view the place.

A house like that stays on the market a long time, and the owners finally have to settle for less than the place may really be worth. What you want to do is ignore the housekeeping and investigate the fundamentals.

Good location? How's the roof? electric service? insulation? plumbing? Maintenance may have been kept up even if the occupants are slobs. And if that's so, you've found a bargain.

If the house has been for sale for some time, by all means try a lowball offer.

A second source of bargain property is property owned by divorcing couples. Sometimes both ex-spouses just want to get out of town as quickly as possible, and can't do it till the house is sold. Your broker may have to deal with two sets of lawyers before your modest offer is accepted, but it's worth trying.

Finally, consider the house being sold by the executor of an estate. The place may be standing vacant, always a worry. Heirs are usually pressing for prompt action. Finding a purchaser for the property is just one of a long list of duties the harried executor needs to check off. A well-qualified buyer represents a welcome solution to yet at least one problem, and your offer could meet with a cordial response.

Published: February 18, 1999

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