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Friday, August 20, 2021

Real Estate Agent Comments in August: “Buyer fatigue, Inventory gridlock"

by Calculated Risk on 8/20/2021 11:36:00 AM

Some twitter comments from Rick Palacios Jr., Director of Research at John Burns Real Estate Consulting:

Just surveyed 6,000+ real estate agents across country. Top themes from our 1st ever RESALE agent survey: 1) Buyer fatigue, w/rumblings of remorse. 2) Bidding wars a bit less bonkers. 3) Cash is King & ton of investors. 4) Inventory gridlock. Commentary across country to follow ...

#LosAngeles agent: “20-minute allotted home viewing time slots with offers due next day by noon, & buyers are asked to give up every contingency under the sun.”

#NYC agent: “Luxury home buyers feel the market is overpriced & have backed off.”

#Phoenix agent: “Buyers are nervous they’re overpaying. Sellers are nervous there will be a correction & they missed opportunity to list at a premium. Both sides are crippled with questions & fear.”

#Houston agent: “Some of my clients are waiting to buy due to the high cost/ bidding war. They feel that any house they purchase will be upside down in equity due to the bidding wars that are going on.”

#Boston agent: “Cash is King. More buyers coming to the table with cash for homes priced at $850K+.”

#Bridgeport CT agent: “With the Delta variant, some sellers are hoping for another round of panic buyers.”

#EastBay CA agent: “Finally slowing down, so instead of 40 offers on the homes, we are seeing 6 to 10 offers. Still selling but without the drama.”

#Tampa agent: “Can you imagine how crazy we’re going to be when Canadians are allowed to come in. Their money is burning a hole in their pocket, & they'll be headed here to Florida to spend it.”

#Chicago agent: “Every single weekend since December, I’ve been taking out 1st time buyers ($350k or less). So many offers on the table, & we get declined every single weekend. Just lost 3 more contracts yesterday.”

#Atlanta agent: “Very difficult market for 1st time buyers in $200k to $275k range. Sometimes 50 offers+ & investors are winning! Forget using any assistance programs for 1st time buyers; sellers won’t even consider the offer.”

#Nashville agent: “Some agents write 20 offers for a buyer before they win on a house.”

#Charlotte agent: “Institutional buyers are killing the first-timer.”

#StLouis agent: “Our inventory is choked to almost nothing. People can't list, knowing the lack of homes for sale. We're in gridlock!”

#Columbus OH agent: “Market sucks for FHA buyers. They have almost zero chance to get chosen when cash buyers are going $50k over asking price.”

#Louisville agent: ““All my buyers are paying $15k to $40k over asking. It's the only way to win in these bidding wars. If these people have to sell in 3-5 years due to life changes, they're going to be under water.”

#ColoradoSprings agent: “VA & FHA buyers will be shut out of the market for all intents & purposes unless they have appraisal gap protection.”

#Athens GA agent: “Hard for the average buyer or ‘little man’ to compete. Without cash reserves, buyers do not stand a chance with their offers.”

#Richmond IN agent: “People are making awesome offers to win the multiple offer war, but then trying to renegotiate at inspection time to try & make the price much less than what was accepted.”

#HotSprings AR agent: “At least 1/3 of my buyers are coming from Texas and California.”

#Kalispell MT agent: “Entire state of Montana has been overwhelmed with out-of-state buyers paying cash for properties & pushing purchase prices. Rents are also being pushed to all-time highs. Affordable homes & rentals for our workforce are a major issue.”

#Claremont NH agent: “Beginning to see some buyer pricing resistance in the last couple of weeks & inventory is growing.”

#LakeKenosha IL agent: “Buyers are not going $50k over asking price like they were a month ago.”

#Lansing MI agent: “Starting to see buyers aren’t as quick to guarantee the difference in appraisal value vs. accepted offer price. If they do, they put a limit on the amount they’re willing to pay between appraised value & accepted price.” THE END