"Real Estate Agents Don't Call Me Back!"

The other day I received a call from a client who is looking for a home - a personal referral - and her biggest complaint was that she had called a few places and the Realtors were not returning her calls. "I would have thought in this market they would be happy that customers are calling and return those calls," she said in an exasperated tone.

I guess that's what they mean by a buyer's market. No one does what you expect them to do. Realtors don't return phone calls and buyers who have loads of opportunities to buy homes dirt-cheap decide to wait it out.

A little bird told me recently however that parts of Sacramento are recovering. And the bird is getting ready to call the bottom of the Sacramento real estate market. This is a very mathematical and market research oriented "little bird" so I believe him. And we talked about what buyers will do when prices go up.

I know the answer. They'll start buying, stop bargaining. And pay exorbitantly more for a house than they would have had they bought it today. Do I sound cynical? I don't mean to. I'm awaiting the arrival of my little baby bean (due in two weeks now!) so I'm on semi-maternity leave anyway. A buyer's market is the perfect time to have a baby, I now realize.

Because (say it with me now) sellers sell in a seller's market, but buyers don't buy in a buyer's market.