What Home Really MeansIn real estate, we spend a lot of time talking about square footage, bedrooms, bathrooms, acreage, interest rates and market value. All of those things matter. Buying or
Keeping a Positive Attitude When Buying in Today's Market
Dated: June 21 2022
Views: 2167
"It’s a seller’s market." You’ve likely heard this – repeatedly.
However, you need to find a home and it’s becoming extremely frustrating. If you spent any time searching home listings you’re probably finding little to choose from and when you do find one it already has an offer on it. Or, if you do get an offer placed it gets rejected and before you know it, you’re in a bidding war. Wasn’t this experience supposed to be fun? This is the feeling almost all prospective home buyers are currently facing.
Before you throw in the towel and give up, here are a few tips to help keep you going.
PERSEVERE because interest rates are going up and economic experts are not seeing them slowing down anytime soon based on what the Fed is forecasting. Interest rates on 30-year mortgages have increased an average of 1.5% since January 1st of this year. If you can get a deal done, it will save you money in the long run.
PERSEVERE because interest rates are going up and economic experts are not seeing them slowing down anytime soon based on what the Fed is forecasting. Interest rates on 30-year mortgages have increased an average of 1.5% since January 1st of this year. If you can get a deal done, it will save you money in the long run.
WIDEN YOUR SEARCH AREA. Real estate agents can be very helpful in understanding what you’re looking for in a home and the surrounding communities that might fit your needs better. Reasonable commuting is not the end of the world and in larger cities, public transportation is an option. Also, with rising housing prices, it would probably be a good idea to make your peace with the fact that you’re going to have to stretch your budget. One of the factors driving up housing prices practically everywhere is the work-from-home phenomenon produced by the pandemic. This moves the hot housing market to everywhere – people are no longer tied to large cities for the best jobs. They don’t have to report to an office so why not live where you want?
BE FLEXIBLE. Making concessions and signing contracts with no contingencies. We're not suggesting that you agree to anything but keep your end goal in mind. An example would be the home having oak flooring and you really prefer maple, but the house DOES have the number of bathrooms you need. A breakfast nook is fairly optional, but the required number of bedrooms is not. Cosmetic items in a home can be updated over time but the structural items are more difficult. Remember, the goal is to get into a new house that fits your basic needs and that you can afford.
With age comes perspective and generally, difficulties work themselves out. You may not understand why a specific home didn’t work out for you because you loved it. Hang in there, tomorrow may bring a new opportunity you never even considered. Five or ten years from now you may look back and know exactly why you ended up in the new home you chose and why it was the best option.
Author: Anne Pralle - "Keeping a Positive Attitude When Buying in Today's Market"
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Ryan Olson
I am the President and Managing Broker of Coldwell Banker River Valley, REALTORS®. Together with my father, Chuck Olson, my brother, Damon Olson, and sister, Jillian Hugo, we comprise the leadersh....
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© 2026 Realtor Association of Southern Minnesota. All rights reserved. The data relating to real estate for sale on this limited electronic display comes in part from the Broker Reciprocity (sm) Program of the Realtor Association of Southern Minnesota Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other then Coldwell Banker River Valley, REALTORS are marked with the Broker Reciprocity(sm) logo or the Broker Reciprocity(sm) thumbnail logo (a little black house) and detailed
SCWMLS - South Central Wisconsin Multiple Listing Corp. All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumers personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. The data relating to real estate for sale on this website comes in part from the Internet Data Exchange program of the Multiple Listing Service. Real estate listings held by brokerage firms other than Coldwell Banker River Valley, REALTORS may be marked with the Internet Data Exchange logo and detailed information about those properties will include the name of the listing broker(s) when required by the MLS. Copyright 2026 South Central Wisconsin MLS Corporation All rights reserved.
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