I believe the buyer was also slightly more aggressive, i.e. was willing to let the deal close faster than my friend, who rightfully wanted to take his time befo

I believe the buyer was also slightly more aggressive, i.e. was willing to let the deal close faster than my friend, who rightfully wanted to take his time before getting into the biggest purchase of his life (inspections and such). That, paired with the massive downpayment the buyer was ready to immediately put in earnest money, was enough to convince the seller. Real estate transactions are not always that rational. Also, many folks in the Bay Area just go all cash, and that's obviously much better for the seller since it means very fast closing. But this if off topic, because a person on a 150k startup salary in the Bay Area won't be able to participate in any of these discussions.