In real estate, everyone has an opinion – and sometimes, those opinions derail actual results. I know this won’t win popularity points, but it has to be said: We are not in a fire sale market for buyers, nor are we in a frenzy market for sellers. If you want to buy or sell a home in today’s market, you need to be reasonable. Period.
Let me share two all-too-common examples.
First, there’s the seller who picks a price based not on the current condition of their home, but on what a nearby home also with three bedrooms and two baths recently sold for. What they don’t want to acknowledge is that the comparable home was fully updated – new kitchen, new baths, new roof, new windows. Their own home? Original everything, plus a laundry list of deferred maintenance.
But they’re stuck on the idea that because someone else got that price, they should too. Their justification? “Because.” And so, their house lingers unsold while better-priced or better-presented homes go under contract. Rather than adjust their price or upgrade their property, they grow more frustrated and start blaming everyone around them.
Then, there’s the buyer who thinks they’re playing it smart by pulling up old sales data and seeing that a home sold for $480,000 two years ago. They assume a modest appreciation – maybe 2 percent per year – and decide the current asking price is way too high. What they don’t factor in is that the seller has done the work: new roof, new windows, updated kitchen and bathrooms. Improvements that matter. But this buyer refuses to see value beyond the spreadsheet. They lowball, get a polite rejection – or a counter at asking price – and walk away offended.
These situations aren’t just frustrating – they’re symptoms of unrealistic expectations. And the truth is, the market in our mountain communities is relatively balanced. Some price points might lean slightly buyer or seller, but we’re not seeing dramatic price drops or runaway bidding wars. Instead, we’re in a season where logic wins. Sellers must understand that “as-is” doesn’t equal “top dollar.” Buyers must recognize that updated homes aren’t priced the same as fixer-uppers.
The bottom line? If you want to move – literally or figuratively – you’ve got to deal in reality, not wishful thinking. The market responds to what’s reasonable. So, whether you’re pricing a home to sell or crafting an offer to buy, come to the table informed, yes, but also open to the real-world conditions shaping our market right now.
Theresa Grant is a real estate broker and columnist covering Lake Arrowhead, Crestline, Running Springs and the surrounding mountain communities. Reach her at (909) 442-1345, visit www.HomesInLakeArrowhead.com and follow her on social media, @theresagrantrealtor. Theresa is a Broker Associate with REAL Broker Technologies. DRE#01202881.
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