Why do I need Team Harry REALTORS®?
We answer a lot of client questions that sound simple at first
“Should I wait to buy a home?”
“Are prices going to fall?”
“Is this a good time to buy?”
“Do you think interest rates will come down?”
“Are sellers finally getting realistic?”
What people are really asking is something closer to: “Can I make this decision without regretting it?”
That is where the conversation gets more complicated, because the client is rarely reacting to housing data alone. They are reacting to everything around the decision: mortgage rates, inflation headlines, job security, stock market volatility, war, insurance costs, election-year noise, tech layoffs, local affordability, and whatever they saw online or on the news.
The headline is almost never the right answer!
A national headline can make our clients feel like the market is moving one way, while their local prices may be moving another. That gap is where a lot of confusion starts. A buyer may read somewhere that inventory is improving and assume they suddenly have unlimited leverage. But in their specific neighborhood, well-priced homes under a certain threshold may still move quickly.
A seller may hear that prices are up nationally and assume they can push aggressively. But if their local market has more competing listings, longer days on market, and more price reductions, that national number may not help them much. In fact, it will hurt them.
The problem with national headlines is that what is happening in one area of the country, or even the other side of the state, doesn’t necessarily mean that is what is happening in your local market. What does the East Valley have in common with Manhattan, Seattle, or Miami? Almost nothing. So what good are national statistics that include those locales? Almost nothing.
Currently, in the cities we primarily work, the average days on the market is 67. This means houses are sitting longer, which in turn means increasing inventory over time. This equals leverage for buyers. Then at some point sellers get tired and financially pressed and will look at and even accept any reasonable offer. Most sellers are even offering, or at least open, to concessions (money credited to the buyer at close of escrow) for buyers to use to “buy down” their interest rate or pay some or all of their closing costs.
So to answer the question “Why do I need Craig & Mary to help us with a real estate sale or purchase? The answer is simple: we know your local real estate market and we are always looking out for your best interests. Trust the local experts. We have done this more than a few times.