The Biggest Advantage Buyers Have Right Now

When people talk about today's housing market, they usually talk about rates.

That's understandable.

Rates impact affordability.

But there's something else happening that doesn't get nearly as much attention.

Buyers have leverage again.

For several years, sellers had almost all the power.

Buyers were competing against multiple offers.

Contingencies were being waived.

Decisions had to be made immediately.

Miss a house on Friday and it was often gone by Monday.

That's not the environment we're seeing today.

Buyers can often slow down.

Think.

Compare.

Negotiate.

And that's valuable.

We're seeing opportunities for:

• Seller credits

• Closing cost assistance

• Rate buydowns

• Repair requests

• Flexible timelines

Those conversations were much harder to have a few years ago.

The interesting part is that many buyers are so focused on rates that they overlook the opportunities sitting right in front of them.

Every market has advantages.

Every market has disadvantages.

The key is understanding both.

Could rates improve?

Absolutely.

Could competition increase if they do?

Absolutely.

That's why trying to perfectly time the market can be frustrating.

A better approach is understanding your options and being prepared.

Because the buyers who succeed long-term aren't usually the ones who predicted everything correctly.

They're the ones who recognized opportunity when it showed up.

And right now, buyer leverage may be one of the biggest opportunities available.

— Michael Belfor

American Pacific Mortgage