Why It Really May Be A Great Time To Buy A House

Why It Really May Be A Great Time To Buy A House 

Sure, you’re hearing it every time you run into a real estate agent:  right now is the all time very best time to buy a house. 

Ok, sure.  Interest rates are low – really low.  And there are plenty of houses for sale, some of them more like fire sale.   So there are lots of bargains out there.

But there is one more reason that you don’t hear about.

Back in the crazy days, everyone wanted to buy the same house you would want to buy.  You’d sign an offer, and your agent would bring it over to the listing agent’s office, where there would be something akin to a Board of Realtors meeting in her conference room.  There would be thirty other buyer agents with offers on “your” dream house.  In this bloody bidding war, you would have to do something totally crazy and irresponsible to get your offer accepted.  Not so today.

• Then: Home inspection contingency?  Forget about it. Now:  Absolutely include an inspection contingency.
  
• Then:  Financing or appraisal contingency?  I don't think so. Now:  You might even get them to agree to reduce the price if it does not appraise.
  
• Then:  Don't even dream of asking the sellers to repair any of the outstanding deficiencies - like the leaky basement or the leaky roof or whatever.  Now:  They'll probably agree to fix the big stuff and the little stuff.
  
• Then:  A price that is $100K or so over the listing price?  Maybe more?  Now: Come in below asking, and if they don't love it, they will at least negotiate with you.  You are, after all, their bird in the hand.

Most of the offers I write today are the only ones on the table.  So my buyers don't have to skip the contingencies designed to protect their interests.  And if you're the only buyer on the horizon, today's sellers will be glad to see you and terrified that you'll come to your senses and try to walk away.  They will feel honored to make any repairs that you request.  And your offer may even be under the asking price, and the sellers will be glad to accept it.

Could prices go down a bit before they go up again?  It's possible.  But they are not as likely to go down as far as they have since the last peak. 

That is why this may be a great time to buy.  I personally think it's always a good time to buy when nobody else is brave enough to take the plunge.