A strong offer is a price plus terms the seller can trust. In October 2026 the typical Apopka home sold for 98.3% of its list price after a median 73 days, so there is usually room to negotiate, and clean terms can matter as much as the number.
Sign the buyer-broker agreement first
Since August 2024, MLS and national association rules (not Florida law) require an agent working with you to have a written agreement before you tour a home. It has to state the broker's compensation as a specific amount or rate, not an open-ended one, and the broker may not receive more than that figure. It must also say that commissions are not set by law and are fully negotiable. Whether the seller contributes toward that fee is something you ask for in the offer.
The contract most Apopka sales use
Most resale offers are written on the Florida Realtors/Florida Bar "AS IS" contract. "As is" does not mean no inspection. It means the seller is not obligated to make repairs, and you get an inspection period in which you can cancel for any reason and get your deposit back. If the blank is left empty, that period is 15 days.
A financed offer also carries a loan approval period, 30 days if left blank. The base contract has no appraisal-gap figure. That protection, either way, is added by a rider or addendum.
The deposit
Custom in Florida is 1% to 3% of the price: $4,000 to $12,000 on a $400,000 home. It is credited toward your cash to close. It is also what you put at risk if you walk away after your contingencies expire.
What makes an offer strong besides price
| Term | Default or custom | Stronger version |
|---|---|---|
| Deposit | 1% to 3% of price | Toward 3%, delivered on time |
| Inspection period | 15 days if blank | 7 to 10 days, with inspectors booked before you offer |
| Loan approval | 30 days if blank | A lender letter based on verified income and assets |
| Closing date | 30 to 45 days for a financed purchase | The date the seller asked for |
| Seller-paid costs | Capped by loan type: 3% conventional with under 10% down, 6% FHA, 4% VA | Ask for less, or none |
| Appraisal | No gap protection in the base contract | A stated amount you will cover if the appraisal is low |
Worked example: two ways to offer $400,000
A home is listed at $410,000. At October's 98.3% sale-to-list ratio, the typical outcome would be $403,030.
Offer one is $400,000 with no seller-paid costs. Offer two is $408,000 and asks the seller to pay $8,000 of your closing costs. Before the seller's own closing costs, both leave the seller $400,000. Offer two keeps $8,000 in your pocket at closing, but you finance it, and the home must now appraise at $408,000 instead of $400,000. If it does not, offer two is the one that comes apart.
A short inspection period only helps if you can finish inside it. Inspections and insurance quotes take days to schedule. Lesson 5 shows how to fit both in.
Before the next lesson
- Read the plain-English guide to the Florida As Is contract.
- Ask Robert for the closed sales on the street before you choose a price.
- Estimate your side of the costs with the closing cost calculator.
- Map the deadlines for a sample offer in the contract-to-close calendar.
Sources: Florida Realtors/Florida Bar AS IS contract, 2024 revision, Stellar MLS compensation rules, NAR written buyer agreements, Redfin Apopka market, October 2026, Fannie Mae contribution limits. Checked November 2026.
The default inspection period is 15 days after the effective date. Inside it the buyer may cancel for any reason and get the deposit back; the seller has no duty to repair.
