Hello all,
"Sellers Market"
If you have a buyer who still thinks they hold the leverage you may want to send this out... Hope to see everyone at the Cinco de Mayo party tonight in Germantown.
What Buyers Must Know Right Now
Things change. Home buyers who do not recognize and adjust to the changes are going to have a hard time this year.
From 2007-2010 buyers were in charge. Sellers were so eager that they slashed prices and accepted many contingencies. Buyers could call most of the shots. If one seller wouldn’t make a deal, there was always another property down the street.
Not anymore. A shocking drop in the inventory of unsold homes means that today’s buyers are as disadvantaged as sellers were a few years ago.
I’ve provided you with two charts below that compare March 2013 stats with those from March 2008. First, look at the chart for sales contracts. Notice that sales activity has increased quite a bit.
Now, look at the chart for inventory. This is what today’s buyers need to digest. A larger number of buyers are trying to buy a much smaller number of homes than in 2008.
Today’s buyers must understand that they face the stiffest competition we have seen since 2005. Therefore, buyers must:
1. Be ready to act — When the right home comes along, a successful buyer has to be ready to submit a strong offer quickly. Those who don’t will lose to better-prepared buyers.
2. Be ready to pay — Home prices are rising because of buyer competition. The two are inextricably linked. Don’t expect to pay last year’s price for this year’s listing.
3. Be careful — Despite what I just said in points 1 and 2, be careful. Many bad decisions were made in 2003-2005 because buyers were so eager. Trust your Realtor’s guidance when it comes to home inspections and other contingencies. Don’t overpay for a house you’ll regret owning.
There is some hope for buyers who do not get the home of their choice this spring: Summer and fall will be a little easier.
Buyers face the stiffest competition in March, April, and May every year. After that, things are less hectic. At the same time, this will probably be the most competitive summer that buyers have experienced in eight years.
—Chris Sicks has written about the local real estate market for the past 20 years.
Enjoy the coffee,
Joe
INSPIRATION FOR TODAY:
"Men are disturbed not by things that happen, but by their opinions of the things that happen."
~ Epictetus
NO FEAR!
A well-known motivational speaker once said, "No one knows enough to be a pessimist." He also quoted statistics showing that a very high percentage of the things we worry about are either A) things that never happen, or B) things over which we have no control anyway. His point? Not only do we not have enough information to justify our worries, we also are virtually unable to alter the outcome of most situations.
Our worst fears are generally of the unknown (not enough information). Our imagination runs wild, conjuring up worst-case scenarios. We become fearful, anxious, and even overwhelmed - yet the source of our fear is non-existent (except in our minds). Consider these oft-quoted phrases:
"Think you can - think you can't - either way you're right." "As a man thinketh, so is he." "Argue for your limitations, and sure enough they're yours."
In other words, by your thoughts alone, you control the outcome. Although there exist many risks to our peace-of-mind during uncertain times, we still have the ability to pursue our very best hopes and dreams. We may find that their achievement requires more effort than usual. Doubt may creep in. Nevertheless, as you have heard many times, "It's all in your head."
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