Argh - Where are the houses for sale???

[Anonymous]

It's spring (ish). C'mon realtors, get the houses on the market. We are ready to buy!

[Anonymous]

Tons of great houses for sale on Church and Park Streets in Vienna.

[Anonymous]

Where are you looking, OP?

[Anonymous]

We are looking, and there's NOTHING on the market in our area except overpriced houses or properties with huge problems.

I think prices are really low, and sellers don't want to sell unless they absolutely need to, or are moving up to a larger house.

In our urban area, any good, well-priced house is snapped up, so there's nothing much available now.

We've been waiting and waiting for the spring market to break, but it's not happening. The realtors keep telling us there will be "lots" of houses in the market at the end of February, early March, but that has not happened yet.

[Anonymous]

OP- Literally anywhere from Kent/Palisades up through Bethesda and Chevy Chase. There are houses, but not many. I'm hoping the inventory will widen in the next few weeks.

[Anonymous]

We're getting ready to go to market in ChCh. What are you looking for?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We are looking, and there's NOTHING on the market in our area except overpriced houses or properties with huge problems.

If an overpriced house has been on the market more than 60 days, you should consider putting in a low bid on the property. Offer what you think is reasonable for the house. The worse they can do is turn you down. But why not see if they are serious about the price or not? Sometimes people put a home on the market at a price they want, but are willing to go down.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP- Literally anywhere from Kent/Palisades up through Bethesda and Chevy Chase. There are houses, but not many. I'm hoping the inventory will widen in the next few weeks.

We're looking in the same area and are anxiously waiting!

[Anonymous]

I'm honestly kind of surprised at the low inventory. We've had a really mild winter, and I would have expected a bunch of new houses by now. If it's still like this by mid-march, we are in trouble.

[Anonymous]

seller expectations are still way off.

there are a couple motivated sellers and those go under contract in 1-2 weeks, but the rest are pushing for peak pricing again and not transacting. they want to pass their loss on to you.

meanwhile developers are trying to sell for astronomical price increases, but as you can tell from the last few months, they chunk off 10% of the list price two to four times before it finally goes under contract.

the only 'trouble' out there is for a buyer who overpays for a house this Spring. then more sellers will list, thinking that is the market, and it's not, it was just an impatient blip, and prices and supply & demand will revert back to finding their floor.

we've already seen 2 identical new builds go for vastly different prices within 6 months, and they are right next door. one buyer was impatient, the other buyer knew fair value.

[Anonymous]

Count us in too. Looking in Bethesda. Inventory is so low.....

[Anonymous]

I think that inventory is low in part because there's no where for anyone to go! I'm eager to sell my house, but I can't do it until I find something to buy.

We're in Ch Ch DC. Once we find someplace to buy, this place will be listed in a hurry!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think that inventory is low in part because there's no where for anyone to go! I'm eager to sell my house, but I can't do it until I find something to buy.

We're in Ch Ch DC. Once we find someplace to buy, this place will be listed in a hurry!

Same here. I thought I had written this, had to double-check the date!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:seller expectations are still way off.

there are a couple motivated sellers and those go under contract in 1-2 weeks, but the rest are pushing for peak pricing again and not transacting. they want to pass their loss on to you.

meanwhile developers are trying to sell for astronomical price increases, but as you can tell from the last few months, they chunk off 10% of the list price two to four times before it finally goes under contract.

the only 'trouble' out there is for a buyer who overpays for a house this Spring. then more sellers will list, thinking that is the market, and it's not, it was just an impatient blip, and prices and supply & demand will revert back to finding their floor.

we've already seen 2 identical new builds go for vastly different prices within 6 months, and they are right next door. one buyer was impatient, the other buyer knew fair value.

This really makes no sense. If sellers really want to sell, they will lower the prices. But a lot of people aren't selling, or aren't willing to accept low prices. Economics says that means prices go up.

[Anonymous]

"'a lot of people aren't selling, or aren't willing to accept low prices. Economics says that means prices go up.'"


OK, let me go list my house 10% higher than any comps sold and stubbornly not accept anything less. "That means prices will go up!"

Sounds like a good plan.