Real estate agents, buyers and sellers are living in a world where the number of buyers exceeds inventory...Although banks and appraisers are aware of this, they rely on data that comes from closed sales.
Last week I released several market reports. Every time I do this, I agonize over the numbers and worry that buyers and sellers will take these numbers the wrong way, or perhaps too literally.
Flooring is huge these days as Westchester buyers increasingly turn their noses up at wall-to-wall carpeting. Adding hardwood to carpeted areas or refinishing floors that you have covered with carpet can add real dollar value to your home.
What I was emphasizing in that first post was that an agent can not defy market forces. If prices are down and the market is a bear which is the case for most of Westchester homes for sale, then even the most stellar agent will NOT be able to get you a 2006 price in 2011. The notion that the "right agent" will get the seller "their price" is a fallacy which dies a slow hard death for many sellers.
Waiting to buy a home could be an expensive mistake....I understand the hesitancy - however, for those who have a stable job and a stable income with good credit, I have to think that a little green monster called greed is entering the picture.