wrote in message

I'm ready to tell him that my $$ offer is now $40K instead of $50K.
What do y'all think of that?


Good idea! Might want to link price reductions in your offer to purchase to
his demands for easement/deed restrictions. An easement can be quite wide
and you can't ever build on it. So you would not really own the easement
land, thus no reason to pay for it! If he wants to have an easement, then he
should reduce the price proportionate to how much land that easement takes
up.

So far as deed restrictions, if this will keep you from building certain
things you might want to build on the property in the future (or someone
else might want to build), then the land might be worth less to you. Link a
reduction in price to his insisting on having deed restrictions. So very low
offer if he wants to keep control of the land. Full price if there are no
restrictions or easements and you get mineral rights. (i.e. You are buying
the property and can do with it what you want.)

Another option is to walk! Say you are no longer interested if he wants an
easement, deed restrictions, and wants to keep mineral rights. Bye! Then the
ball is in his court and he would probably come back with a better offer if
he *really* needs the money.

An option might be a limited time contract between you and him (outside of
the deed) where you agree not to build anything on the property that would
not meet his deed restriction requirements. Say for 5 or 10 years. He may
want to keep you from building anything which would lower the value of his
development next door. But he would only care about this until his
development is sold off. After he is gone, he would care less (unless he
intends to live there himself?) But with this plan, in the long run you
would have full control of the property.

Might want to do a little communicating with him. Find out why he wants
certain things. Tell him your feelings that with the restrictions, etc. you
feel you would be a *sucker* to buy since he would retain control of the
property. That buying land to you means you can do what you want with it.
And resale value in the future would be higher if there were no easements,
no restrictions, and it came with mineral rights. (I have seen people walk
from a home purchase because there was an easement. People don't want to buy
a property with an easement on it if they can buy something similar without
an easement.)

Basically you will pay for what you get. If he wants to give you something
less than full value, then the price should be adjusted accordingly. This
would be fair. (If he is the type I think he is, he will scream like a stuck
pig at any reduction in price!)

Let's find out what is more important to him. His restrictions or cash....
I'll bet he wants the cash!