I got an offer yesterday that I'm pretty sure was generated by someone throwing darts at a calculator blindfolded. House is listed at $389,000, priced competitively based on three solid comps from the last sixty days. The offer? $285,000. No explanation, no cover letter, just the number sitting there like it made sense. I called the buyer's agent thinking maybe there was a mistake, maybe they meant to send this to a different property. Nope. She tells me her client "really loves the house but wants to start a conversation." Ma'am, this isn't a conversation starter, this is a hostage negotiation opening. We're $104,000 apart. That's not a gap, that's a canyon. The best part? They wanted a response within 24 hours and included a personal letter about how the buyer could "really see themselves raising a family here." Beautiful sentiment. Maybe budget for it then? I had to call my sellers and present this with a straight face. They asked if the buyers maybe forgot a digit. I wish I had a better answer. We countered at full price just to make a point. Haven't heard back. Shocking.