Listen. We get it: Buying a home is exciting, whether it’s your first time or your tenth. But as your trusted real estate partner, we have to be perfectly honest here: There are certain things you should avoid saying when house-hunting.

Because just like your Miranda Rights state, anything you say can – and will – be used against you.

So before you step into a home and speak before you think, here are six things to never say to or around sellers and their agents – ever.

‘This is The One!’

Home buyers who make this declaration put themselves at a huge –  read: HUGE – disadvantage when it comes time to negotiate. Why? Because statements like that only serve to help the sellers make more money because they know they have your emotional investment and buy-in, putting you squarely on the defensive from that point on. All discussions about the house and any negotiating strategies should be kept private – and away from the eavesdropping ears of sellers and their agents.

‘That *insert decor / furniture / feature* is awful!’

Sometimes, houses are, well, not quite up to snuff. Everyone’s taste and aesthetics are different and so often, you’ll come across a home that is – for lack of a better term – ‘awful.’ But just as you wouldn’t walk into a friend’s home and make that declaration, don’t do it when you’re house-hunting either. Beyond it being rude, if they hear you bad-mouthing their home, then they may just be inclined to go with another buyer if you put in an offer. Remember: A home is where someone has made countless lifetime memories with their loved ones.

‘This is our budget.’

While it’s always best practice to know how much you can afford, it is decidedly a bad practice to announce it. You wouldn’t announce what cards you had in your hand playing poker – so why do it when you’re about to make the biggest financial investment of your life? A prospective home buyer should never discuss their finances with a seller or seller’s agent because much like gushing over a home, you put yourself at a major disadvantage when it comes time to negotiate.

‘Why are you selling?’

Oof. We’d want to know, too. So, this is definitely a hard one to preach because while you may be curious to find out why sellers have put their home on the market, keep the inquisition to yourself. It’s considered poor taste to ask as there may be extenuating personal circumstances, like divorce, death or job relocation, that led to their decision to sell – and may not be something they’d like to disclose to a complete stranger.

‘How do you like living here?’

Sure, you want the neighbors to spill the tea but interrogating them isn’t the best way to ingratiate yourself with your new prospective neighbors. Feel free to make small talk and chit chat, but don’t be intrusive, insensitive or pushy.

‘It’s not worth X.’

While it’s not uncommon for houses to be overpriced, it’s certainly not your place to tell a seller, their agent or even say it within earshot. Because even if you think the home is way overpriced, it could very well be within the range of comparables for the neighborhood or priced according to other less-obvious reasons. Regardless, keep such opinions to yourself and in your back pocket when it comes time to negotiate.

While buying a home is a major financial transaction and the decision should be made logically, rationally and objectively much like any other business transaction, it is, after all, a home we’re talking about – and that adds a host of emotions to the mix. Tread carefully, lightly and respectfully – and let your experienced DeLeon Sheffield Company real estate professional handle the rest.

Because at DeLeon Sheffield Company, ‘We’re More Than Realty; We’re Family.’