Can’t find a house?? You are not alone!!

For those of you who are buyers in this spring of 2016 Charlotte market, you know it is HOT!!!! Smoking hot! If you are a buyer and are feeling very frustrated and about to give up and rent because you can’t find a home, you are not alone. It is not uncommon for buyers to lose out on several homes to multiple offers before finally getting their dream home. Realtors in this market are often encouraging their buyers to bid at or above asking price with no contingencies and are still losing homes to other offers. The fact is, there are not a lot of homes on the market. Add the fact that there are a lot of buyers out there and together you get mass chaos. When a new house goes on the market, buyers flock to the homes like zombies from The Walking Dead.

What are some options

Because of low inventory and and big demand for buyers to buy homes here in Charlotte, what is a buyer with money in their pocket and a desire to buy to do?

~ If you can’t find it…change it and make it your own!!!~

Find the almost perfect home…find the LOCATION you like, because that cannot be changed. Buy a little under your price range to make the changes to the house that you want to make it your perfect home. Maybe the kitchen needs a gut job, or you need to create an office in an open floor plan by adding a wall. The possibilities are endless. Many REALTORS® align themselves with great contractors who can put in that extra bathroom you need for your elderly parent on the first floor or whatever you need.

~ Be patient and stay calm.~

Eventually you will find the right house. You don’t have a lot of control over whether the seller accepts your offer. But, you do have control over how prepared you are. In this market, is helpful if you can be flexible as much as possible, such as with the closing date. Most sellers will not be taking contingency offers because they don’t have to. So, if you make an offer on a house that is contingent upon selling your house, be prepared that your offer will likely not get accepted. Go in with a strong offer. And lastly, write a nice, personal letter to set yourself apart from the others. Some things you might write about are how hard you worked to save up to buy this home, how excited you are to find this perfect home and the memories you’ll make…You want to appeal to the emotions of the seller!

~ If you can’t find it…Build it!!!~

New construction homes for sale are booming in Charlotte, NC and surrounding areas!  If building a new home is your dream, then there’s no better time than now to get started.  There are lots of new construction homes for sale that fit a wide range of budgets – from under $200,000 to over $3 million! Choose from custom builders to production builders.

One question many people ask is, do I need a REALTOR® to buy new construction? At the risk of sound a bit self-serving, 100% YES!!! When you are building your dream home, and making perhaps the biggest investment in your life, doesn’t it make sense to have your OWN Realtor® to represent YOU and your best interests? When you walk into a new model home or sales office, remember that the friendly and helpful sales agent who greets you works for the builder.  Although most are very capable in helping you find the right plan, elevation and style to suit your needs, style and budget, remember that they DO represent the builder.  New homes sales agents are very accustomed to working with Realtors® who bring their buyers to the home site.  Your buyer agent Realtor’s commission is paid by the home builder, and the cost of this commission is factored into the sales price of the home.  You will not “save money” by choosing not to have your own buyer agent working for you.  It is prudent to use an experienced Realtor® to represent your interests!

If you are just visiting new construction homes for sale model homes, be sure to tell the builder’s sales agent that you are working with a Realtor®.  Some builders won’t honor this relationship unless you tell them the first time you sign in.  Be protected!

~In summary~

Try not to get discouraged in this market. You have options! As your partners on this journey, we at Bullard Realty Group would love to chat with you about your needs and the best strategy to help you find your forever home. Let’s meet at our Ballantyne office or meet for coffee!