Housing market

Wife and I are shopping around for our first, and this seems pretty accurate. Crushing to us is that we watched almost all of our peers buy houses similar to what we are looking at now for $100,000 less 4-5 years ago. We wanted to save up for larger down payment and ended up becoming parents along the way, and then everything boomed on us.
Everything we are looking at in eastern DSM is up 50% since 2019 with the only work done being… replacing the roof from the duracho damage.
 
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About the same for me.
The only thing I would really change is a bigger main floor or upper floor closet. Not in any bedrooms, just big enough to store an upright vacuum easier along with winter coats. We keep the vac in a bedroom closet because the main is small and the upper is for towels and bathroom stuff.

Jesus get a cleaning lady already. Enjoy the fruits of America while you can.
 
Sounds like a lot of people saying what they would and wouldn't do that is out of line with the current housing market. There's not much inventory, few are selling due to interest rates. Those buying are stuck with what is out there and the current conditions.

You can say as often as you want "that house isn't worth THAT much", but your opinion will change quickly when you're actively buying. You don't have to like the prices but that is what they are. Not only are those the prices but many of them are selling over list.

If you think things are overvalued and you're looking to pay bottom dollar....you're just not going to be buying a house.
 
Why should I pay close to if not the same amount for an existing house when I can buy new and generally not have to worry about repairs, gremlins, replacement of major things for a long time. Oh and it's updated and I can make it what I want. Not saying you are in a bad position but IMO if you even think you may be selling in 5-10 years you should be looking at making a plan to make some upgrades and that mechanically things are in order now.

I know every market is a little different, but it has not been my experience at all that new construction and existing homes are comparably priced.

I'm constantly annoyed that everyone needs the latest and greatest materials, colors, flooring, countertops, etc. Our house has repainted kitchen cabinets with a new countertop and outdated bathrooms and while it isn't the most up-to-date style it works. It seems like some here won't buy anything that isn't in perfect condition.

Based on here and Twitter X I'm wondering who is buying existing houses.

I blame HGTV. Also, think about how smart an average person is, then realize that half of the world is dumber. Kitchens and master suites sell houses for some reason.

Last time we sold a house, we got feedback that the size was great, awesome huge yard, and perfect location. Buyers weren’t interested because the kitchen was dated. Gee, which of those things is easy to change?
 
I just finished a 4-month long house search. I didn't have a huge budget, so I saw A LOT of awful flips. I saw maybe 2 flipped houses that were done well and not stripped of every interesting detail and color. I don't get why everything needs to be gray to appeal to potential buyers. It certainly didn't appeal to me.
 
I know every market is a little different, but it has not been my experience at all that new construction and existing homes are comparably priced.



I blame HGTV. Also, think about how smart an average person is, then realize that half of the world is dumber. Kitchens and master suites sell houses for some reason.

Last time we sold a house, we got feedback that the size was great, awesome huge yard, and perfect location. Buyers weren’t interested because the kitchen was dated. Gee, which of those things is easy to change?
I think realtors would tell you the overwhelming majority of people are willing to pay more for it to already be done then to deal with doing it themselves.
 
I think realtors would tell you the overwhelming majority of people are willing to pay more for it to already be done then to deal with doing it themselves.
Also easier to finance those already done upgrades in a 30 year fix loan instead of trying to get a Home Equity loan to finance the remodel.
 
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Also easier to finance those already done upgrades in a 30 year fix loan instead of trying to get a Home Equity loan to finance the remodel.
Look at the map I provided above and tell me which of the new houses I should buy that isn't over a million+ or 45 minutes from my job. If a new house was 5 miles from work and slightly more expensive, sure, makes sense. But the new houses 5 miles from my work are all tear-downs over $2,000,000. I don't know what your job or finances are but I can't afford that.
 
Literally the only reason why housing hasn’t crashed is because no one is selling, and because of that demand is still greater than supply.
 
Not a perfect comp at all, considering that one has a 2 car garage (compared to none), twice as many bathrooms, more BRs, and a finished basement (meaning each of the BR's is likely larger than the one we were discussing). If you're saying $200k seems to be the going rate for the College Ave house, how are you also saying $225k is the going rate for the house with no finished basement & no garage?

The investors got a great deal at $140k, and are trying to squeeze as much out of it as possible. Guess that's capitalism, but I'll be shocked if they get asking (or even all that close to it).

How about this one next door? $202,700 estimate on Zillow. Sometimes Zillow isn't the best, but it's saying next door is over $200k.

Sweetened up the subject with paint (prior pics seem to show some exterior clean up too), fresh appliances and sell as "turnkey". Come on in and live your dream.

Where's Mike Pace when you need him?

 
I just finished a 4-month long house search. I didn't have a huge budget, so I saw A LOT of awful flips. I saw maybe 2 flipped houses that were done well and not stripped of every interesting detail and color. I don't get why everything needs to be gray to appeal to potential buyers. It certainly didn't appeal to me.
Yeah a lot of flips are DIY and cheap materials. I ended up buying an older house that hadn't been updated so I can slowly do it how I want with high quality.
 
Yeah a lot of flips are DIY and cheap materials. I ended up buying an older house that hadn't been updated so I can slowly do it how I want with high quality.
I thought of doing that, too, but for some reason in my market it was either bad flip jobs or not ready to be lived in, so renovating while living in the house wasn't an option, either. My patience paid off, though. I'm glad I suffered through a hundred bad houses to find the one that's nearly perfect for me.
 

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