In a normal market, I would agree that an old roof is a negotiating point.
But in this market, with homes selling in less than a week with multiple offers, you might not have the luxury of arguing over a roof that passes an inspection but is due to be replaced. Add $15K to the list price and ask yourself if you're still willing to buy it, because if you knock the cost of a roof off your offer, you probably won't get the house.
It really depends on the asking price. If the price would have been a reasonable price a year ago plus 10%, I'd eat the roof cost and make a full-price offer. But if the seller has already jacked up his price to take advantage of this market, you might have some negotiating room to argue over the roof, if there aren't other bidders.
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