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The Real Reasons You’re Not Finding the Right House

There are lots of people not buying lots of houses right now. But it’s not because of the layoffs or interest rates. People are trying to buy! I write 3 times as many offers as get accepted. It’s not my client’s fault though. MY clients are smart, and we’re going to talk about the hows and whys of them getting smart, and how you can get there too. Because there are people out there who get in their own way. I’d like to say “You know who you are” but you know those people NEVER know who they are.

You’re Looking for Perfection

Do me a favor. Look at the person sitting next to you. Are they perfect? No, right? What if you’re alone, think of someone in your family. Are they perfect? Also no, I bet. Some people we get along with and like more than others, but no one is perfect, so why do we expect a home to be? Perfect doesn’t exist. And chasing perfection is how you miss some really great homes while waiting for unicorns.

Before you think I’m not talking to you, I actually AM talking to you. When you dismiss a home for a feature that can actually be fixed, there’s a problem and it’s not with the home. It’s with your approach and your expectations. You want to look for homes that check most of the important boxes. You want a home where the value will appreciate. And you want a home you can make your own, with the right bones and the right location. Location is critical. There’s a reason they say, “Location Location Location.” You can change a house. You cannot move its location.

I’ve seen buyers pass up on homes because they didn’t have a tub. You. Guys. YOU CAN ADD A TUB! 

And the more common one I’ve seen, a LOT, is “I’m not seeing what I want, we’ll look in spring when there is more on the market.” Do you hear yourself? It’s all the same stuff, there’s just more of it, and there’s more buyer competition.

How To Fix the Search for Perfection?
Like Cher said in Moonstruck, “SNAP OUT OF IT!.” Cut it out. You need to figure out what you really must have in a house and then what you can fix. I see this happen a lot with buyers, they start out looking for perfect and six months later they are like, “we’ll take that tent by the bus stop.” It doesn’t have to be that dire, but the higher your expectations, the harder you’ll fall.

You can read the full article here.