2009: year in review, an buyer agent-eye view
Since 2007, I have done a year in review here at Real Estate Now. In 2007, I wrote the best and the worst. In 2008, I wrote on what had changed
and what didn’t change.
This year, I am reviewing the year in terms of my immediate experience as an agent (today) and my experience as a blogger here with you on Thursday. Tomorrow, Attorney Vetstein will review the year, from a real estate lawyer's point of view.
Now, about my year: I went into the MLS to look at my closings in 2009. I worked with buyers in price ranges from $200,000 to $1,200,000. Some were empty-nesters, trading down. Some were growing families, trading up. Some young couples, some singles. So, basically, I worked with everyone!
Most of the time, my buyers spent less than the top price they thought they could afford. A win.
Every one of my clients got through financing without delays. A win.
None of my clients had their purchase questioned due to low appraisal. A win.
A larger-than-typical number of my clients bought newer construction or built a modular home. A win. I think…well, maybe that’s a loss.
Developer-clients got more cautious. A win.
More developers dropped out of the hunt. A win, really. But sort of a loss for me.
Some of my primary-residence buyers dropped out of the hunt. A loss. Several because their jobs got shaky. A bigger loss.
Interest rates stayed pretty low. A win.
Lots of past clients refinanced. A win.
About half my clients collected the $8000 tax credit. A win.
Price went down. A win. But not enough. the biggest loss.
In the area where I work, near Boston, there is still a dearth of nice properties for sale in every price range. My clients were in competition with other buyers more than half the time they made Offers. Because I encourage my buyers to let overpriced properties go, they frequently had to make Offers on several properties before they got a price they could live with. A win, but I worked harder than usual this year. It was also hard for buyers.
All-in-all, I came out ahead. My clients who bought chose well. I personally like the choices they made and I get pleasure from knowing that I was a part of their move. I go into 2010 content with my business life.
Did you buy in 2009? Were you house-hunting? What did you see out there this year?
