FREAKING out! Please tell me more is about to come on the market!

[Anonymous]

We are currently under contract with a fast settlement (4/25) and there is NOTHING out there.
We have zoned in on two neighborhoods. One has one house that is $50k overpriced. The other has zero inventory. Stuff is flying off the shelves in two days. Please tell me more is coming? I thought this was the height of the spring market, and if it is, we will be homeless. (Well we are moving in with my mother until we find something, but I hope I can get out of there before school starts!)

Are more houses about to flood the market?!???

[Anonymous]

Which neighborhoods? I've seen a few "coming soon" signs for houses not on mls yet.

[Anonymous]

Specifically zip codes 20853 and 20832

[Anonymous]

My next-door neighbor is listing April 5th. Where are you?

[Anonymous]

You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

Does this actually work?
I've thought about doing this it then I think I look like a stalker. Plus, in this market, wouldn't you rather take your chances with a bidding war than selling to some weird, stalker family?

(Sorry if I'm negative, I'm nervous)

[Anonymous]

You have several months before school starts. Relax. Lots of folks are waiting just a wee bit longer due to school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

Does this actually work?
I've thought about doing this it then I think I look like a stalker. Plus, in this market, wouldn't you rather take your chances with a bidding war than selling to some weird, stalker family?

(Sorry if I'm negative, I'm nervous)

It certainly can. I know some people who have initiated sales, both as buyers and sellers, in unconventional ways like this without realtors at mutually beneficial prices (basically, 3% lower price).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

Does this actually work?
I've thought about doing this it then I think I look like a stalker. Plus, in this market, wouldn't you rather take your chances with a bidding war than selling to some weird, stalker family?

(Sorry if I'm negative, I'm nervous)

I have gotten such letters (we are in a low inventory, fast selling NWDC neighborhood), and I did find them a bit weird. For one, we only bought a few years ago, so it's kind of unlikely we are already planning to sell, and secondly, currently many houses around here get bid up like crazy, and I would want to know what the highest bid for our house is. So I think you have the right intuition if you are looking in a really hot market.

[Anonymous]

Good luck, OP! It's frustrating. We wanted to buy last spring and kept waiting for more houses to come on the market. We made a few offers, but it didn't work out. Ended up buying this past winter.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

Does this actually work?
I've thought about doing this it then I think I look like a stalker. Plus, in this market, wouldn't you rather take your chances with a bidding war than selling to some weird, stalker family?

(Sorry if I'm negative, I'm nervous)

It certainly can. I know some people who have initiated sales, both as buyers and sellers, in unconventional ways like this without realtors at mutually beneficial prices (basically, 3% lower price).

+1 we are selling to someone our neighbor got us in touch with. Our house never went in the market and we never had to stage it. Win win.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Good luck, OP! It's frustrating. We wanted to buy last spring and kept waiting for more houses to come on the market. We made a few offers, but it didn't work out. Ended up buying this past winter.

What did you do in the meantime?
(Live with in-laws? Rent?)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

Does this actually work?
I've thought about doing this it then I think I look like a stalker. Plus, in this market, wouldn't you rather take your chances with a bidding war than selling to some weird, stalker family?

(Sorry if I'm negative, I'm nervous)

I have gotten such letters (we are in a low inventory, fast selling NWDC neighborhood), and I did find them a bit weird. For one, we only bought a few years ago, so it's kind of unlikely we are already planning to sell, and secondly, currently many houses around here get bid up like crazy, and I would want to know what the highest bid for our house is. So I think you have the right intuition if you are looking in a really hot market.

You realize that people were just putting letters out to everyone, and not doing research on who bought when and trying to decide if enough time had passed that they might like to sell now?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You can always put letters in the mailboxes of the neighborhoods you're targeting.

"Greetings! We're a family of four who loves this neighborhood and are hoping to buy a house here. If you have been planning or considering selling, please contact me at [e-mail] to see if we can work something out. We may even save the 6% agents' fees."

Does this actually work?
I've thought about doing this it then I think I look like a stalker. Plus, in this market, wouldn't you rather take your chances with a bidding war than selling to some weird, stalker family?

(Sorry if I'm negative, I'm nervous)

I have gotten such letters (we are in a low inventory, fast selling NWDC neighborhood), and I did find them a bit weird. For one, we only bought a few years ago, so it's kind of unlikely we are already planning to sell, and secondly, currently many houses around here get bid up like crazy, and I would want to know what the highest bid for our house is. So I think you have the right intuition if you are looking in a really hot market.

You realize that people were just putting letters out to everyone, and not doing research on who bought when and trying to decide if enough time had passed that they might like to sell now?

[Anonymous]

I put these letters in the trash without even reading through them - I find them really intrusive, plus houses naturally sell for more on the open market. No need for private sales.