Whether you are looking for your dream home for sale or to sell your current house quickly, it is essential to understand the market and what happens in different market types. The real estate market is dynamic, and what was true yesterday could be false today. That may affect your ability to sell a house successfully or even purchase one. It primarily affects how sellers and buyers value property.
Here are the basics that you need to know about housing markets.
Housing Market Basics
Understanding the types of real estate markets is the first step. Here’s a breakdown of what the real estate market lingo means:
What is a Buyer’s Market?
A buyer’s market is when there are more properties in the market than the available buyers. Such a situation weakens the seller’s bargaining power and gives the buyer an upper hand. Also, the buyer has a lot of choices since there is more than the current market can handle.
That means the sellers have to wait for weeks or months before they get an offer. That pushes them to agree to top the conditions of the buyer to get close to a deal. As a buyer, this is the perfect time to buy property as the power is in your hands.
What is a Seller’s Market?
A seller’s market works contrary to a buyer’s market situation. Here the sellers enjoy the power. In a seller’s market, the homes for sale are fewer than the number of buyers bringing offers. That means every buyer wants to convince the seller to close a deal with them, primarily by increasing the amount they’re ready to pay.
A seller’s market situation brings in the risk of inflation. The sellers hike prices because there is a competitive spirit among the buyers. However, the costs may eventually normalize when buyers do not agree to the prices anymore, and thus cannot buy at that rate.
What is a Balanced Market?
This type of market usually marks a period between the first two types of housing markets. A balanced market is when the property available is par with the number of buyers. That means there is no competition for property but sellers still cannot hike prices.
This is one of the best times to purchase a home. The prices are friendly and represent the actual value of the property you are buying. However, like the seller’s and buyer’s markets, this period does not last long.
Why Does the Housing Market Change?
The housing market primarily changes because of changes in lifestyle. For example, income levels, job market, and consumer confidence affect buyers’ ability to spend on real estate. That then brings an effect on the market and the valuation of the property.
However, this market is usually slow-moving and does not change as rapidly as stock markets do, thus preventing regular crashing. Therefore, you can usually wait for a change in season before buying or selling property if the market is not in your favor.
