Drew Hitt

The market in the price range you're look at stinks.

You're right not to listen to NAR rhetoric or the Virginian Pilot manipulation of stats. Who cares if sales are up way over last year, why are we forgetting to compare it to last month instead? That's like comparing cell phone usuage after 9/11/2001 to 9/11/2002. You can make any figure look sexy if you know what I mean.

Personally, this is what you need to do to get a good deal.

A. Buy a nice house from someone who gets great deals at foreclosure auctions. Most are in great shape in your price range and investors sell them at "short sale" prices without having to take the time for the offer to get accepted. You just can't go FHA in that case.

B. Be a well qualifed buyer and make offers that make sense to you on what you feel a house is worth. Who cares if you hurt peoples feelings, this is a business buy not an emotional one. Make enough offers and someone will take your price given their situation.


A deal isn't a deal unless you get a huge discount off list price. Otherwise it's likely to just be a reduced market value. A deal isn't a deal unless you're buying at 20 - 30% under comparable sales in a stable neighborhood. Otherwise you're just buying a cheaper house in a declining market and sooner or later all the rest of the houses around you will be at the same price as your "deal".

There are always deals to be had, you just have to look in the right place and be able to move fast enough. Most deals aren't to be had on the MLS. I know of a house that sold in the Thoroughgood area that sold for $230k. That's a good deal.

-Drew - Yesterday, 06:41