Weekend open houses welcome troops of buyers trying to recover from a "will this snow ever end" siege mentality. They jostle for space at open houses as if they were in the middle of the Louvre or to bring it closer to home at an art show opening on Newbury Street or the South End. Murmurs from fellow house hunters create a sense of excitement that went missing over the last few months. A blue jay's chatter and the appearance of a noonday sun make the afternoon golden for buyer and seller alike.
It's during the heady first weeks of the spring market that a buyer needs a realtor's counsel even more to make a sound purchase amidst all the buzz. What is a good offer? What are the true comparables on a home? Anyone who does business in Cambridge and the Greater Boston area know that comparable home values can differ within a neighborhood - sometimes within a block. If a buyer does find herself one among many making an offer on a home, a sense of competition can drive her to sweeten the offer or back out altogether. (Multiple offers are not an anomaly in this area - even now.)
We can provide statistics backwards, forward, and sideways, but comparables only go so far. Did that home speak to them (hey, you, I'm just perfect for you) when they first stepped across the threshhold? Did the information we provide confirm that they were about to make the right decision?
What a ride - even in a down market. To be a part of a decision that brings a gleam to the eye and a bounce to the step.
