Once you find a house or condo, before making a purchase offer, ask your buyer’s agent, “How much did the seller pay for this home?” Most buyers don’t ask this vital question. Your buyer’s agent might be shocked. Just explain the reason you need to know is to discover how much negotiation room the seller has so you can buy the property. Your agent will be thrilled to learn you plan to make a purchase offer. For example, if you learn the seller paid $100,000 for the property many years ago, and the comparable home sales prices in the vicinity indicate it is worth $300,000 today, that seller has lots of negotiation room.