The Downside of Beautiful Decor...aka...What's Included?

The beautifully presented home...we all love it. It's so easy to picture ourselves living in it, living the lifestyle that we imagine goes along with it. And really, that's the intention when it's staged (you already know this because you read my post on the HGTV Effect right?) and some people even live like that all the time! Perfection is hard to maintain but there are some people who can pull it off...not me personally, lol, but kudos to those who can & do!

But wait! None of it is included? It's all an illusion? That gorgeous light fixture in the dining room...nope! The fantastic high-end appliances & the window coverings...nope, nope! Once you strip some of these features away, does the house still hold the same value? Well, that depends on what you're taking away AND who you're asking...

Everyone's perception of value is different, it's going to depend on individual circumstances & more often than not, the need to put out cold hard cash. I always tell my buyer clients that you can write anything you want into an offer, but should you?

I've had Sellers who were adamant about excluding the decorative mirrors they installed above the bathroom vanities in the home they were selling, but be equally adamant about the same type of mirrors being included in the home they wanted to purchase...clearly a bit of a disconnect!

The Bully Offer - Welcome to the Wild Wild West!

The Wild Wild East is more geographically accurate but it doesn't have the same ring to it, does it, lol...Bully offers have become commonplace in our area as Buyers search for any advantage that will put them on top! Sellers too are trying to take advantage of it as we often see right in the listing that offers are set for a certain date but that they reserve the right to look at pre-emptive offers.

What is it?
A Bully offer, otherwise known as a Pre-Emptive offer, is an offer that is submitted by a Buyer ahead of a set offer date. It's an attempt to gain control of a situation where Buyers are not typically in control due to our current market conditions. For example, a property is listed on Monday with the Broker remarks indicating that offers will be reviewed on Friday, as per the Seller's instructions. However on Wednesday morning a Buyer submits an offer that is only good until Wednesday night...and the Seller has to choose whether they want to entertain the offer or follow the plan and wait until Friday.

Buyer Fatigue: Should You Give Up On This Real Estate Market?

Look Familiar? :(

No question, it's a tough time to be a buyer right now! But what's the alternative?

Wait until rates rise? It's predicted that we will continue to have minor fluctuations over the next year or two but that there's not a huge rate hike looming in our foreseeable future.

Wait until the market crashes? There have been buyers waiting for many years for this to happen & they've gotten priced right out of the market. Hindsight is a cruel b$tch!

Keep renting & build somebody else's equity? Or stay in your current home that doesn't meet your family's needs?

None of those sound like particularly attractive options, right? But I get how frustrating & discouraging it can be for my clients to be on this rollercoaster ride of low inventory & multiple offers that is the current real estate market, because I'm right there with them! I work for free every single day, for every single client, until we successfully buy or sell a home so I've got skin in the game too!