@William Laurent
There are other options to explore, such as owner financing and lease option. That way, you can offer a deal closer to their asking price.
However, it seems like you are wholesaling only. In which case, you may have not set expectations properly, either with your marketing or phone conversations.
Your primary offerings as a wholesaler are the ability to buy the home in as-is condition, and sell quickly for cash. That's it. You can't buy at market rate, because you wouldn't be able to sell quickly in as-is condition. I haven't had much success in asking, "What would you want for the property?" Homeowners ALWAYS over-value their homes, because they see the comps too, and think their house is equal (if not better) due to their own emotional biases.
When speaking on the phone to prospects, after getting to know their motivations and pain points, offer your solution.
"I can help you meet your motivations, and solve your pain points. I work with cash buyers in the area that buy in as-is condition and close quickly. Meaning cash in your pocket ASAP, and no expenses on repairs. I also don't charge commissions and closing costs like a realtor might.
It looks like your father's home needs $31,000 in repairs to get it to market condition and get that top dollar price you might be seeing elsewhere. But repairs are first, expensive, secondly, time-consuming, and third, risky. I hear so many people complaining about general contractors that take deposits for repairs, and run off like The Music Man, never to be seen again, having never made a repair. You also don't want to spend all of your nights and weekends making repairs to a home you don't live in and want to sell anyways, do you?
Or if you're thinking about renting to tenants - do you really want that nightmare? Tenant screening is everything, and the wrong tenant can cause serious damage, and cost a lot in repairs and evictions.
My offer to solve all of this for you is $75,000 cash in your pocket in 21 days or less. Do we have a deal?"
Also - maybe your repair estimates are off. Have you seen the property? You say it's in good shape. Maybe $31,000 for repairs is a drastic over-estimate. If all the house needs is fresh paint, new carpet, and new appliances, your repair estimate may be $20,000 too high.
Finally - they really may not be motivated to sell. If the decision-maker is a younger guy, time isn't as much of a factor. He may be willing to hang on to the house for a higher value from a realtor. He may be willing to spend the time and money to make repairs. He may be willing to rent and wait for a better offer.
If he's not motivated, tell him to think it over. Call him back in a couple weeks and re-gauge his interest. If he's still not interested, move on to the next offer, or refer him to a owner-finance or lease-option buyer.
