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advice for buyers

How much are buyers paying above the list price?

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It’s exhausting being a buyer because it’s so easy to get outbid. It seems like finding a house is a bit like trying to buy the new PlayStation 5. Let’s talk about that today. How much are buyers actually paying above the list price? And if you’re not local, what are you seeing in your area?

A spring market in the fall: First, here is a big market update I did for SAFE Credit Union (40 minutes). Enjoy below (or here).

QUICK SUMMARY:

  • There isn’t just one amount buyers pay above the list price
  • The market isn’t the same in every price range.
  • We’ve seen huge growth this year between $10-20K
  • About 80% of sales are somewhere between below list and $20K
  • Not everything is getting bid up
  • About 40% of sales sold at list price or below last month
  • 2/3 of the million dollar market sells at list or below
  • Higher prices tend to pay more above list (when above list happens)
  • Only 3.5% of sales went $50K+ above the list price last month
  • Look to the comps. Don’t just blindly offer above the list price.

SKIM OR READ IN DEPTH:

How much are buyers paying above the list price? Here are some brand new visuals to show how much buyers are paying above the list price. These might take a minute to digest. This image basically shows the total percentage of sales in the market. For instance, in the visual below 31.4% of homes last month sold below the list price, 9.9% of sales sold at the list price, etc…

Under $400K:

Between $500-750K:

Million dollar market:

This visual compares last year with this year.

Here’s the same information but with numbers. Do you like this better?

HOW MUCH ARE BUYERS PAYING ABOVE LIST PRICE?

1) Mixed results: There isn’t just one answer that applies to every price range and escrow. 

2) The biggest change: In many cases buyers are tending to pay ten to twenty thousand over the original list price to secure a contract. About one in five buyers paid $10-20K over the list price last month. In some cases prices get bid up even more, but close to eight out of ten sales are somewhere between below the list price and twenty thousand above the list price. Keep in mind many buyers are getting a loan for the full contract price, so paying above the list price doesn’t always mean buyers are bringing that much cash to the table.

3) Not everything gets bid up: It might be surprising, but this month we saw about one in three sales sell below the list price. It just goes to show sellers have to price it right – even in this wonky market. We also have to be careful about saying “EVERYTHING IS GETTING BID UP” when that’s not true.

4) Million dollar market: The highest prices basically show if buyers are paying above the list price it tends to be more significant. But two thirds of all million dollar sales last month sold at either the list price or below the list price, so the bulk of homes in this range aren’t getting bid up like the rest of the market. Like I’ve said before, this is the most overpriced segment of the market.

5) Not sensational: Only 3.5% of all sales went fifty thousand over the list price last month, so let’s be careful about shining a spotlight on this tiny sliver and saying, “Everything is getting bid up $50-100K.” Nope.

6) Don’t offer above without looking at comps: Buyers, be prepared to offer above the list price, but don’t blindly offer $10-20K above without really considering the comps and advice from your agent. Remember, the market isn’t the same at every price range either.

7) Appraisers: These days appraisers are getting huge flack for “coming in low.” Look, sometimes appraisers are legitimately missing the mark, but other times properties are getting into contract way beyond what is reasonable, so the appraisal should come in “low”. Sellers, sometimes the highest offer isn’t always the best one if there is going to be an appraisal involved. And to my appraiser colleagues, our role is never to “hit the number”, but let’s be sure to account for the true temperature of the market in our reports.

Anyway, I hope that was helpful.

Questions: What stands out to you most above? What is it like right now in the trenches for buyers? Anything stories to share? Did I miss something?

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An open letter to homebuyers

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Dear Buyers,

Can we chat? I’ve been having SO many conversations about buying in today’s market, so I wanted to stir some thoughts and maybe offer some perspective. I hope this will be helpful.

Things to keep in mind about buying a home right now:

Starter home vs dream home: We all want that pristine HGTV flip, but we can’t expect a dream home on a starter budget. In other words, a first home might not have the best upgrades or condition and it probably won’t be found in the best neighborhood either.

Be realistic: Sellers are prone to overprice and that’s their glaring real estate “sin” so to speak, but for buyers I’d say being unrealistic about what you can buy is a big issue. The dream is to pick up a $150,000 brand new modern home in Midtown, but that’s nowhere close to reality. At times it can be sobering to see what you can honestly afford, but if you’re serious about buying it’s best to get up to speed with that. You don’t want to be like Jim Carrey in Dumb & Dumber saying, “So you’re telling me there’s a chance?” No, there’s not a chance to buy that house with your budget.

It’s okay to be picky and patient: Buyers get flack today for being patient. My sense is buyers are picky about getting into contract at the right price and staying in contract. That’s okay and I think you’re wise for being discerning rather than making a flippant decision (like many of us made in 2005). So take your time rather than being hasty. Just be sure you’re realistic that the home you want actually exists in your price range.

Waiting for the market to crash: Quite a few people say they are waiting for the market to crash. The idea is to hold out until prices are low and then swoop in for something cheap. But if a market implodes you might not be able to buy. The temptation is to talk about a crash as if it’s isolated without any effect on income, jobs, consumer confidence, credit scores, etc… But a crash in prices could mean other parts of the economy and life are plummeting too.

The last implosion: There is real concern about buying at the top of the market and I understand why buyers are hesitant. Just remember the implosion that happened last time isn’t the new formula for every future market change. On one hand it’s normal to see prices go up and down, so we can expect to see prices decline at some point because that’s what markets do. But the severe collapse during the last decade isn’t the new template for the future either.

Timing a market perfectly is hard: It sounds easy to time a market perfectly and buy at exactly the right time, but it’s not so easy to pull off in real life. In my experience most people buy because of lifestyle and being able to afford the mortgage payment rather than being technical about where we’re at in a price cycle. I don’t say this to gloss over a growing lack of affordability or frothy prices in some markets, but only to share a real issue. Your lifestyle is likely to be the trump card here. Where do you want to live? What school district do you want for your kids? Or if the market did decline, where do you want to ride it down? (my friend Mike Gobbi asks this honest question). Realize there is no right time for everyone either. I say it’s best to weigh your goals and lifestyle with current market trends. Does buying make sense for your lifestyle and wallet? If the market did go down, would you still be comfortable with the monthly mortgage payment? Those are reasonable and honest questions.

Bring a strong offer: If you are playing the market, bring a strong offer rather than lowballing. I just saw a Realtor on Facebook talking about a client who wanted to offer at 50% of the list price. Yeah, don’t do that. We all know sellers are smoking pricing crack and they need to come down from their “high” expectations, but at the same time sellers are in tune enough to sniff out offers that have no chance.

Fear of missing out & pressure: I recently spoke with a young man who just graduated college and wants to get into real estate. He asked me for advice since he was worried about missing out on the market if he didn’t buy right now. I told him: “Do what you want and be sure you can afford the mortgage. If you can though, get aggressive first about paying down student debt so you have more freedom for future real estate opportunities.” I mention this because there is often pressure to buy RIGHT NOW when in fact timing might not be right for every individual. For this recent grad, I’ll respect whatever decision he makes, but he won’t lack opportunities in the future if he doesn’t buy now.

Pulling the trigger: At some point you have to decide if buying is right for you. I’ve watched friends obsess over prices for years and become paralyzed in making a decision because they’re so worried about the future. Look, either do it or don’t. That’s entirely up to you and there’s no pressure from me. But my hope is for you to come to a place where you have confidence and peace about your decision rather than being anxious for years without any progress.

Talk to a loan officer: Some people can afford the market but they don’t realize it because they haven’t explored options with a professional. This is why the first step is talking to a reputable loan officer. Find out about different financing options and special programs that might be available. Remember, we don’t live in a world where everyone has to bring 20% to the table either.

Prophets: Everyone has ideas about the future, but nobody really knows what will happen. I’m not saying to ignore trends or red flags, but only to be humble about predicting. Also, realize many who make predictions simply move their prophecies to the next year when they don’t come true.

Other: What am I missing? Please speak up in the comments.

That’s my two cents. I hope it was helpful.

Questions: Buyers, any stories to share? Is there any helpful advice here? What are you most concerned about? What am I missing? Anything to add?

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An open letter to buyers in an aggressive market

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Dear Buyers,

Yesterday I talked with a few buyers who are in the trenches of the market. One is feeling frustrated at not getting offers accepted, and the other is starting to feel like affordability is beginning to vanish. I was actually taken aback with the sense of hopelessness felt by the latter individual, so I wanted to share some perspective as an appraiser when it comes to making offers in an aggressive-feeling market. Whether you are in Sacramento or elsewhere, I hope this helps. Any thoughts?

40519811 - empty notebook and pen on table

Advice for buyers in an aggressive market:

1. Shop below your price range: We are in a market where multiple offers are commonplace in many price ranges and neighborhoods. This means if you are qualified up to $300,000 and money is tight, you might want to consider homes that are priced $270,000 to $300,000 instead of just $299,000. This allows you some space in case there is a bidding war.

2. Expect to get beat: Sorry to be a downer, but you probably aren’t going to get into contract on the first home you offer on. Remember, real estate is a bit like dating. You often don’t marry the first person you go out with. So take heart and expect you’ll submit many offers until something sticks.

3. Know when listings usually hit the market: There is a season in real estate, just like there is a season for baseball, weather, or elections. It’s true inventory is sparse, but it’s also true listings don’t start to hit their stride until March through August. Sometimes February will be a stronger than usual month, but we still don’t see the bulk of what’s going to hit the market until May through July / August. If you don’t believe me, look at the light green listings below over the past few years. In short, don’t freak out in February if there isn’t much on the market. 

listings in sacramento - sacramento appraisal blog

4. Don’t let sensational headlines stress you out: Headlines these days often talk about how hot the market is, but my advice would be to read stories carefully and ask a few real estate professionals what they think too. For instance, one headline says “Sacramento will be one of the hottest markets in the nation” as values are projected to increase by 7% in 2017. This one story has seriously saturated the market and I’m hearing this sentence about everywhere I go. The irony though is a 7% price increase is about what happened in 2016, which means the headline could have just as easily said, “The market looks like it’ll do about the same thing this year.” I don’t say this to gloss over how competitive the market is, but only to highlight we need to read articles carefully and think critically rather than immediately stress out.

5. Don’t mistake low-ball pricing for the market: Some properties are attracting 15-20 offers, but my sense is when that happens it’s usually more about low pricing than the actual market. This week I saw a property listed at $290,000 that probably should have been listed at $350,000. We can look at the 15 offers and bemoan how intense it is out there or we can realize this one was priced ridiculously low.

6. Be careful of bidding up to “no man’s land”: While it’s plausible to think the contract price might get pushed up a bit with multiple offers, don’t forget to be realistic about what the home is actually worth. If you know you don’t have cash to pay for the difference between a realistic appraised value and the contract price, you might not want to offer that high then. Somehow you’re going to need to stand out as a buyer to the seller, but an unrealistic offer well beyond a reasonable value probably isn’t going to help you in the long run.

7. Realize cash doesn’t always win: There is a false idea that cash investors from the Bay Area are beating out financed buyers all the time – especially those bringing very little money to the table. The truth is 1 in 4 sales last year in Sacramento County were FHA buyers who put down 3.5% (or less if they used down-payment assistance). Keep in mind only 14% of all sales were cash during this same time. Moreover, 27.4% of all sales under $500,000 had FHA loans in 2016 in Sacramento County.

8. Find a way to stand out: There could be multiple offers, so you need to figure out a way to stand out and make a positive impression on the seller. Of course the strength of your offer is the first place to start, but beyond that find a way to make an emotional connection with the seller too if possible. I might recommend brainstorming ideas with your agent. When my wife and I bought a house a couple of years ago there was actually a higher offer on the property, but the seller accepted our offer instead. When touring the home we were fortunate to meet the seller and we hit it off a bit. During the conversation the seller mentioned her son was going to start at a new private school. Anyway, when we submitted the offer we wrote a personal letter complimenting the house and reminding the seller who we were. We also looked up the school and found it was $1400 per month. We then wrote in our offer we were going to give the seller an extra $1400 at the close of escrow to help pay for her son’s school (The underwriter actually freaked out because she’d never seen a buyer do that). I’m not saying you need to do something like this, but in our case it definitely made a huge impression. It showed that we listened, we truly cared, and we were very serious about the home. 

9. Listen to your agent: You probably know the market pretty well by now because you’re scouring listings in an obsessive compulsive way on Redfin, Zillow, and MLS. This also means you are most likely going to find your eventual home before your agent does. That’s how it works these days. Just remember finding the home is the easy part, but the most important thing your agent can do for you is negotiate on your behalf and offer professional guidance and advice along the way. Will you listen?

I hope this was helpful.

Sincerely,

Ryan

Questions: What piece of advice resonates with you? What is #10? Did I miss something? I’d love to hear your take.

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