u/Alternative-Mix4853

We received a counteroffer on our home sale and I’m trying to figure out if it’s fair or too aggressive. From my experience in this area, it’s way too aggressive. We using a flat fee service in Indiana.

Here are the terms the buyer is asking for:

• Purchase price: ~$180,000 (asking 174k)
• Buyer broker compensation: 3% (~$5,400) 
• Seller concessions: $6,000 toward
• Buyer also asked for splitting standard closing costs 
• Possession: Buyer requesting immediate possession
• Inspection with the ability to ask for us to pay for repairs

I was an agent for a long time and let my license expire because we are moving out of state and it was cheaper to list FSBO than with my brokerage (6%). I’ve never seen an offer like this in my several years experience. I would not advise a seller to accept this offer either. There is way too much of a risk with this, as who knows if FHA will appraise for 180k? That is 6k above asking. Immediate possession is way too quick, as well. The other issue is being on the hook for 6k towards closing with the house again, not certain to be appraised for 180k. I’d also love to know what the agent could be doing that’s worth 3%. All she’s done is argue about limited representation and refuse to send the offers to me directly despite it being asked to send offers to me, the owner by the list agent??

The house has no issues, large lot with a guest house and pole barn which is a rare find at this price within 60 miles of us. Buyers want us to cough up 6k for them to move because they cannot afford the house I’m assuming? 

This is my personal experience after 3 weeks in Japan with my husband and our elementary-aged kid. I have been to Asia before but never Japan; I felt that it was a great place to go for kids (if you go with the flow and set realistic expectations on activities not for children). I also want to note our kid is great when we travel and this was probably the most snotty he has been (but he still was very well behaved; we just had issues adjusting to our schedule and time zone changes). We have a very active, outdoors lifestyle at home so our kid is used to walking a lot which really made the trip so much more enjoyable. We walked 20-30k steps a day (except 2 days). As a family, we love hiking, nature, trying new foods, animals and plants. We are all big fans of Pokemon and Nintendo.

My biggest takeaways are this: make sure your kids (and you) eat breakfast in the morning, even if you don’t have a kitchen. Keep shelf stable stuff and fruit in the room to eat before you leave. Pack light snacks too! If there is a touristy spot you want to go to, go as early as possible or navigate unreal crowds with kids in tow. Let alone waiting for a meal with a hangry kid (or parents!) Be prepared to spend money on kid oriented things, as the parks are quite small (but most kid activities are very affordable). I’d also mention that 3 weeks for Tokyo and Osaka was too long for us; we should have cut the trip down by a week or had a third location. The crowds are unreal and there are definitely spots with overtourism. I felt bad contributing  to it, though we remained respectful and acted as guests (as we usually do when traveling). I also have lots of tattoos and the staring/faces of some people started to wear on me. Tbh the last 2 weeks I fully covered my tattoos to avoid it. I am glad we forked out extra cash to get a house the second time around. We were so cramped and it wore us down in Tokyo. We enjoyed Tokyo but Osaka was much more enjoyable. We hit a lot of beautiful nature spots in much less time compared to hiking outside of Tokyo. The pace was much slower here. 

If you have questions about traveling with kids, I am happy to lyk what worked for us. We travel quite often so I feel I do have some things down to a science. I think a less active child, or more children on this trip would have made it really hard to do. Peanut allergies are very doable here, way better than my country of origin and other Asian countries I have been to. We ofc had stuff we wanted to do but didn’t get the chance to due to crowds/weather/Golden Week but I am very happy we came to Japan. I would say we probably won’t be back for a long time, though. This is because we have a big international move coming up and other countries we wish to hit. I do hope that we experience long layovers in Japan in the future to enjoy their incredible meat, produce and dairy. It’s the best I have ever had!

Day 1: Travel day, 17 hours of flight time with one layover from North America. For some reason I thought it would be a good idea for us parents to get almost no sleep to try and “nap” on the long-haul to Haneda. Bad, bad, bad idea. We didn’t sleep a wink. We should have gotten a full night at home then watched TV and read but instead we were too tired to watch anything but unable to truly rest. Putting our kid in the middle seat made it much more comfortable for everyone and our son was able to sleep for the last few hours laying across us. We also were not able to eat airplane snacks/meals because of the peanut allergy, so we ate snacks but didn’t pack enough for us adults. We planned to eat at the airport but didn’t have time during our layover.

Day 2: Landed in Haneda and thought it’d be a good idea to take 3 connections on the subway at 5PM JST on a Friday to our room in Asakusa. We thought we’d be fine having my husband from NYC and I often in Chicago and being used to hectic subways. Dumb idea, I should have forked out the cash for a taxi.  It would have been less miserable had I slept in the last 2 nights. It was beyond stressful to active our eSIMS on airport wifi while then trying to set up our Suica cards. It didn’t work on my husband’s phone and he ultimately got a physical card. Customs let us go through the priority line for having a kid which was awesome. We finally made it to the room after an hour and everyone showered then collapsed. 

Day 3: Woke up around 3am and nobody could sleep. Our room was tight so nobody was able to sleep once the kiddo was up. We got an airbnb so we could have a kitchen to cook peanut-free meals. We ran to a Lawson and loaded up on everything that looked good and was peanut free. We used Google translate the whole trip and it was excellent. I really like how most food in Japan (imo) was free of peanut. We played at a very small park across the street (open 24/hr) then walked to Senso-Ji. It was amazing at sunrise and empty. The koi ponds and smelling flowers kept us busy for quite some time there. After this, we went to the Skytree and sat on the observation deck. Around noon, we got back to our room and I fell right asleep. My guys fell asleep around 5PM. I woke up halfway through this and grabbed groceries at the local Summit; we loved their produce and dairy quality. 

Day 4: Woke up around 5AM, ate breakfast at the room walked to the park to play then went to the Imperial Palace. Hubby and I loved it, my kiddo found it boring. He mostly groaned about being hungry. So we walked over to the Kirby Cafe at Tokyo Station, had some sweets, then checked out the station. We then walked to OK store for a premade lunch. We then went back home to watch TV. After this, we walked through Asakusa & the stalls by Senso-Ji (stopping at Don Quiote) and it was PACKED. Dinner waits were unreal and we didn’t plan ahead so we had snacks there, then dinner at home and went to bed. 

Day 5: Went to the Hatchiko statue then walked into multiple spots for breakfast; most had possible cross-contamination so we walked for an hour until reaching Eggs n Things off Takeshita Street before the stalls opened. It was very good food at a good price for being in a high-traffic area. We then walked Takeshita Street once it opened but it was soooo crowded. We checked out the pig cafe but it looked like quite poor conditions; we skipped the rest and went to Meiji Jingu. We were absolutely spent by 2 and went back to the room for the night. 

Day 6: Went on a hunt for crafts and coloring books, as our kiddo was bored and we don’t do much TV. We found some at Lawson and spent the morning crafting. After that, we went to Ueno park and the National Museum of Nature and Science. We thought we’d find lunch there and neither adults ate; bad idea, got crappy and had convenience food for lunch. 

Day 7: Spent the day at Skytree, as we were really doing too much, too far apart each day. The crowds were getting to us at tourist sites. We went to the Pokemon store, clothes shopping, and had some great Chinese food at a stall called “Pao Pao.” Our room was so tight that this was the best option for a rest day. We couldn’t really chill in the room. We also walked the river and bird watched. 

Day 8: Ninja experience cafe had an opening our son is obsessed with ninjas so we did that. A bit pricey but a blast, as he had the whole place to himself with the trainers. We then went to IKEA and spent a long time there and had a good time at the cafe; it was solid food and peanut free. We also enjoyed some Mister Donut for dessert at the adjacent shopping center. 

Day 9: Disney! We originally didn’t plan on going but the playgrounds were getting a bit boring. We got there at opening Hubby tapped out after 3 hours and went back to the room. My son and I had a blast with really short wait times. Almost everything was peanut free so we had a ton of popcorn, the Baxmax drink and la taverne de gaston. Kiddo and I got back around 8PM. 

Day 10: Lazy day. Went to Ichiran for dinner and it was great. 

Day 11: Skytree (again) and park hopping. Went back to the dumpling spot for a solid, peanut free lunch. We tried to get into Kirby Cafe (way too late) and couldn’t wait 3 hours. 

Day 12: Bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka. It was raining like crazy so we took a cab. Once we got to Osaka we crashed at the airbnb. We originally had a room booked but with how cramped our Tokyo apt was, we found a last minute home to rent. 

Day 13: Universal. We went on a Monday and it was hell. I have never been in such a crowd in my life! Our son loved meeting Mario and Luigi but with the wait times, we only got to do the Mario Kart ride and Kinnopio cafe. We admitted defeat on the crowing in Nintendo world and rode the other rides around the park with short waits. We left about 2 hours before closing. The curious George show was the cutest and best thing we did there. Overall, I was suuuuper disappointed in Nintendo world. We paid for passes (told we had to get them to enter) and upon arrival (at opening), but they were not enforcing passes; the fast lanes were 1 hr+ waits and shoulder to shoulder with no walking room. I was a bit bummed because we spent a ton of money on these passes and didn’t need them. This was definitely a day for our kiddo and not fun for us adults. I also got the most unbelievable sunburn. We also did the Olivander experience (I didn't know that's what we were doing until we went in) and it was a big deal that our son was picked. Back when I was a kid, we went and they gave the wands away to the "chosen" kiddo. They took the wand from my son and said it was not a gift which kind of bothered me (only because of my previous experience at WWHP in the past). But I already had my childhood wand to give to him so he was thankfully not upset. Just a note in case you are tight on cash and don't have the $$ or desire to buy a pretty low quality wand on the spot without warning.

Day 14: Lazy day. We all watched movies and I caught up on work. 

Day 15: Nara park. It was really, really fun. It was drizzling and chilly so it was quite peaceful. We hiked Mt. Wakakusa and that was the highlight of my trip. I highly recommend it, and it was easy to do with a kid. I’d like to note that the deer were very cute (but very aggressive if you have food on you). Be aware of this. I got bit a ton in my side and back. We ate at Happy Kitchen Kin-no-shika for lunch. 

Day 16: Osaka Aquarium. It was not very crowded for Golden Week and we loved it. We spent the afternoon  in Tempozan Market Place and watched the ships go by. Peanut free spots were hard to find without a wait there, but we found (and really enjoyed) Boteju. We then went back to our room to crash. We were spent. It was very interesting seeing the differences in Tokyo compared to Osaka regarding atmosphere and travel time between cities. I also want to note that all over Osaka during the day time, I saw a lot of drunk men pissing on the street? Not sure if that is common or I got (un)lucky…. Lol. 

Day 17: Expo ’70 Commemorative Park. Another highlight of the trip! We spent the whole day there and the entire park was incredible. We had Park Cafe for lunch which was delicious. 

Day 18: Grand Front Osaka. Weather was crappy so we went here and shopped a little. We had the best Indian food we have ever had, at Indian Tandoori BINDU. Also the best service I’ve ever had. Great food, great prices! We then went to Bornelund and it was a blast for all of us, not just our kiddo. 

Day 19: Minoh Falls. It had been raining so the falls were spectacular! The hike did not feel as long as it did. We absolutely loved this spot and highly recommend the hour + it takes to get to it. We decided to head back for dinner and tbh, we went back to Indian Tandoori BINDU at the Grand Front Osaka. 

Day 20: Tsurumi Ryokuchi park. It was nice, but really crowded. We left earlier than we anticipated and went to Aeon Tsurumi to have lunch. It was okay food, I cannot remember the name. We then played at Skids Garden while hubby shopped. We had a blast! It was very calm and fun. We then went back home. 

Day 21: Travel to Tokyo, then home. Not much else to add other than GET SLEEP BEFORE THE FLIGHTS! Why did I not do this the first time??

Japan is very kid-friendly if you plan around food, crowds, and energy levels. Those with peanut allergies can eat pretty safely here. Feed everyone early, go to popular spots as early as possible, and expect crowds; especially in Tokyo and during holidays. Active kids who can walk a lot can thrive; otherwise it can be exhausting. Osaka felt more relaxed and enjoyable than Tokyo, with easier access to nature. Three weeks in Tokyo + Osaka alone was too long; add another region or shorten the trip. Small accommodations and packed tourist areas can wear you down fast, so forking out $ for space helps. Overall amazing experience, but pacing and expectations make or break it. Not prioritizing sleep and rest days will ruin your day fast.