In this live walkthrough, Nathan Payne meets with two collaborators (Speaker A and Speaker B) to discuss the sale of a 1,222‑sq‑ft, three‑bedroom house that is currently being cleared for an estate sale. The owners have received lowball cash offers ranging from $300k to $350k, while Zillow estimates the property at $487k. Nathan, an experienced house flipper, estimates $20k in material costs for cosmetic rehab. The group debates negotiation tactics—offering the seller multiple options rather than a hard‑line demand—and considers the seller’s preferences: a mid‑April closing after the estate sale, which is expected to net $7k‑$10k. They also discuss agent commissions (3% typical), the seller’s desire for an 8% gross margin on cash deals, and the logistics of the estate sale, garage contents, and property features (metal cabinets, new water heater, central AC). Throughout the conversation, the participants aim to craft an offer that meets the seller’s price expectations (over $400k) while respecting timelines and minimizing perceived pressure.
Chapters
So I'm gonna sit down with him and kind of negotiate it out. Like, not like, hey, this is where we need to be, but like show him his options, because that's kind of how I like to talk to people. Like, bro, you don't have to sell this thing to cash, or you can get way more if you list it.
I just like to give people options so I feel like we're not threatening at all.
Yeah, you do the same thing.
Yeah, so it's like, so we do our direct marketing as well, but I mean, for us, we just can't buy enough to, you know, keep all the money moving. Uh, I think I told you a little bit, like, Roger's got a quarter billion dollars to move, and so we just have to keep money moving.
That's crazy.
So that's why I kind of told him, it's like, dude, all these other people are lowballing you.
Like, they can't compete with what we can do, and we'll take it tight. I need 8% gross margin on the money, and that's all I need.
Yeah, so, so, uh, I'll kind of sit down— I was going to sit down with him and break it down if he wanted to see his options, um, but really just got to look and see what you would be at, and then we can kind of discuss where you're at, and we'll see if we can get it lower.
Yeah, no, that works for me.
How you doing? Good, how you doing? My name's Nathan Payne. I was texting you.
Is it okay for us to come in?
Yeah.
So we all work together. He buys and we kind of went through shopping, looking around.
Well, I had a hoarder living here. Oh, so you're just down here for, uh, to clear this out and sell it?
So are you putting on Facebook Marketplace?
All kinds of stuff, but I have a estate sale in 2 weeks. Okay, so it's all handled.
It sounds good. I bet it's been a lot of work though.
Oh, it was up to the ceiling. It was horrible. The garage is absolutely packed full. Oh, is there a garage? Box back there.
Yeah, yeah, if you don't mind, just take a look around, you know, honestly.
And then this is my real estate agent. Do you want to— okay, any kind of offers, have to go speak to him.
Are you, um, did you already sign with him and everything? Okay, so you probably ran your offers by, um, like that you received by him already. Has he thought about just listing it?
Like, okay, is that, is that what you think? We're going to decide that in a couple weeks. Okay, when I get the estate sale done And we'll find out. I'm doing one thing at a time. Yeah, I haven't been— I let one group in here, actually two groups in here to see it when it was all up to here. And I think that the offers reflected that. What did—
if you don't mind, do you know what they offered? Just so we don't like—
$300,000 and $315,000. $350,000. Okay.
We were like, not even close.
Hell no. Yeah. Okay.
So you obviously will make an offer, but I don't want to offend you or the agent. Do you have an idea of like—
Oh, over $400,000 for sure.
$400 cash?
I mean, Zillow says it's worth $487. Okay, so, you know, yeah, I guess, um, you never know. But that is all fixed up and pretty.
Yeah, you know how to do it.
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I've sold houses before, so I fixed up houses.
So have you thought about fixing this one up yourself?
Absolutely.
You explored all your options, huh?
Well, we're working on it. You guys, you contacted me, I went, hey, why not?
You might as well, right? So you're saying, uh, like, if If anyone were to come in and say, hey, don't even worry about the stuff, we'll take it as is, and they gave you, you know, let's just say $380,000 or $400,000, you'd say no, I'm going to get the estate sale done? Is there like a price where— I don't even know what we're going to see now, so I'm just curious, like, is there somewhere it's like, hey, I don't even need to do the estate sale if you guys can buy it right now and you take everything and you junk it or sell it yourself?
Don't junk it because it's all brand new. Okay, we bought everything off of I mean, there's $10,000 worth of brand new stuff here.
All right, so, so then you're probably thinking like, hey, you want to do the estate sale?
I'm going to do the estate sale. I was cleaning— I'm cleaning it out. After the estate sale, I'll think about selling. So if you want to give an offer, yeah, that's fine. We could maybe even have it all settled by then. Yeah, yeah, that's my agent. He's—
that's, that's helpful.
A really nice guy. So anyway, living room. Okay. Dining room. That's like in the garage.
We'll actually speak to Patrick to see about the back door.
Um, it's all steel construction, including the roof on it. So these are the original cabinets.
I don't think I've ever seen those before.
Yeah, they're metal cabinets. Oh yeah, you seen these before? Yeah, the next door neighbor had them brand new, and I actually had— this house was all wallpapered with wallpaper cores and everything when I bought it in 1991.
Common in the subdivision. It was like a thing of the subdivision. Like, I don't know why, because we've done a couple in here and they all have these type of cabinets. You don't see them very often.
But I, um, I painted them and did the squiggles on it to match the wallpaper that you can see here. But I've taken down the wallpaper I put up now. Okay. And started working on it. But, um, brand new water heater, not even a week old. Great furnace. Um, blast you out of here. So we get 115 degrees out of the air vents left here. So yeah, I've had it inspected. There's some things, you know, nothing serious. Yeah, but found there's some things with the electrical, which is right here. Yeah, it needs an electrical. Yeah, well, it's a new one. Yeah, it just needs a new box. Swamp cooler? No swamp cooler, took it out. It's got air conditioning, got central air condenser on the side of the house over here. Okay. Took it out so that will need— that hole will need to be covered over, but it has a pillow up in it. One of those things you get from the Home Depot to seal it off. Did have a hot wood-burning stove in the living room. Just took it out last Saturday. Okay. Nobody— I used it once, and with the wear— with the restrictions on burning, it's not worth having. It's easier to put in one of those insert things. Okay. And heat up, so That's sad. So this used to be a, uh, tall closet. The tall closet, took it out, put the fridge in there. It opens up— it opened up the kitchen a lot. Okay. First bedroom, it needs trim, it needs closet doors, needs baseboards, all that. Kitchen needs to be redone, and then floors.
Since you've flipped quite a few houses, you're saying what do you think our rehab on this to get it to?
Probably $20,000. $20,000 to do without— that's just on materials, not labor. Okay. Um, half bath, you can open and look at it if you want, but a full bath needs some work. Closet used to be up here. So there's 2 closets. Um, the closet out of that bedroom made a different one and took the room. So there's double closets here, and there's an extra large closet in that bedroom there. So yeah, I did some work on that one. Oh yeah, I just saw that. Nice. I should remember, it's after me. Yeah.
So you're looking— you got the estate sale 2 weeks. Was that—
that's—
they'll bring us into, um, April.
Yeah. And then Easter's on Sunday. And, uh, yeah, we're not having a sale on Easter, of course.
Yeah. Dave, rest. You're going to go to rest?
I guess so.
Obviously, you guys are just going to talk it out and see what works best.
Yeah.
You know, it's interesting. Obviously, he's going to— is he getting like 6% of the commission?
Oh, God, no, no, no. Okay.
3%.
3%. Okay.
Because usually what we do is if an agent, like, you know, since we're not really represented, we just say, hey, can you represent us in the transaction? That way they're able to— Yeah, because we're not represented. Okay, so that saves you, you know, 3— well, depends if you, you know, to pay 2, 2.5, 3%.
I want to make sure it gets paid. Yeah, yeah, and I'll make sure that happens. That's good. Okay, and, uh, whatever it turns out to be. He's also doing my estate sale.
Oh, he is?
He does both. But yeah, he does— they do the estate sale and the whole thing. So this has 1,222 square feet, 3 bedrooms, bath and a half, detached car garage on a quarter of an acre.
And then you said the garage, you know, it's full.
Yeah, it's packed to the gills. Okay, brand new stuff.
So I'm excited for you.
Swimming pool yesterday, there was two of them.
I'm excited to kind of see what kind of money you'll make at the estate sale. It'll probably be pretty good.
He said $7,000 to $10,000.
Yeah, from all the stuff in here.
So we'll see. That'll work.
Well, um, you need to see anything else?
It's really a simple little house.
It's simple. It seems like it's a cosmetic.
Correct, it's all cosmetics. Yeah, even the floors.
You got to do— obviously the bathrooms will be rehabbed, so kitchens. But other than that, that's it.
Paint and clean. Just some painting and cleaning. And all the baseboards need to be replaced.
And yeah, these are the old ones because I pulled them out.
Um, you guys usually get brand new doors too?
Yeah. They need it.
Yeah, do the decorative door as well.
Oh yeah.
Is there anything that's like, uh, would set us apart from other offers? Is there something like timeline?
Is there—
it's just—
is it just the price? And then—
well, I had the two offers and I said no way, and I haven't done any talking since.
Okay, but nothing other than if you can get the price you want and close. Is it like a close by the end of April? Is it close mid? Do you, you have an idea?
I'd rather have it mid rather than later. Okay, mid.
So if we can get something done mid-April, work with him, get it all—
I mean, you guys put the offer in with him, and I mean, we might have it all wrapped up in the next 2 weeks, you know? Yeah, yeah.
Worst thing out, you might even be able to get out of here sooner.
Right after, yeah, that'd be great. I would not complain about that. Yeah, yeah, I know you— but I'll have it all cleaned up, the windows washed, and all that good stuff. Yeah, yeah, I got your text message.
Listen, we won't offend you with one of those low, lowball offers. Don't even worry about it.
I waste your time and mine. Thanks for your drive down here. I appreciate you letting us come in. No problem. You have a nice trip. We'll see you.
