Buyers...Hmmm....We know there are not a lot of them....but WHO Are They?

Remember a couple years ago when there were floor calls and normal buyers? I used to have at least 11 buyers. The first thing I did every day was check for new listings that might work for them. They were people looking for more room...a bigger kitchen...a school district. If I could figure out who the buyers out there now are, maybe I could do better marketing? It seems like I keep meeting a lot of unrealistic bargain hunters who want to steal things. I met one couple at an open house in the Germantown neighborhood of Philadelphia, PA, recently. The house was a beautifully redone 1400 sq foot twin for $175,000. The couple had 3 teenage boys. No way would they fit! A very reasonably-priced move up from that is an 1800 sq ft twin in popular Roxborough, PA neighborhood of Philadelphia, w/ 3 or 4 bedrooms and a finished walkout basement with patio and yard for $275. 3 bedrooms that need work could be had for $245. Those are reasonable option for this couple who have good educations and decent city jobs w/ security. The husband said he didn't want to pay that much. OK. Fast forward to the following Friday. I get a floor call on a $725,000 house. It is from them. Huh? Big houses in highly desirable neighborhoods aren't going for under $300,000. The week before I got a rare floor call on a $650,000 house. Turns out the man was really a $300,000 buyer. I sent him some nice options and never heard from him. Same story with another woman who seems to have seen every house in town over the past year. What's up?