Interest rates are below 5%, there is a surplus of housing which gives buyers unbelivable choices, sellers are motivated to sell and are pricing realistically and are still negotiating even lower than list price…Sounds like a fabulous buyers market to me and buyers should buy. Right? But, here it is January 2009 and buyers who really want to get a great house at an affordable price could do so right now and they are parralized by fear and waiting. Waiting for what?
When you ask them why they are waiting, they will say because they don’t want to pay too much. As a Raleigh residential real estate broker for 24 years it amazes me that in a sellers market where there are very few homes to chose from and buyers frequently settle for less, while paying top dollar because many buyers are in bidding wars and pay above asking price to get a home—buyers buy. They buy fast when prices are high and wait when prices are low? Fear causes them to pay too much in a sellers market and is now causing them to miss out on a great buy in a buyers market. Why do buyers buy in a sellers market when the prices are the highest and they will not buy in a buyers market when the prices have dropped and interest rates too. Anyone have any thoughts on this?