Posts made by author 'Bruce Butler'
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11
Haven't Seen This in 10 Years
Last fall, nearly 45,000 sellers decided they'd had enough and pulled their homes off the market. Many of them said the same thing: if they couldn't get the price they wanted, they'd rather wait. Now they're coming back, and according to CNBC, they're re‑listing at the fastest pace in a decade.
It raises a fair question: what kind of spring market are they walking into?
Mortgage rates are sitting around the mid‑6% range—significantly lower than where we were a year ago—which is already helping bring more buyers off the sidelines. At the same time, pricing is becoming more important than ever. Buyers aren't disappearing; they're simply cautious. They're watching for homes that feel realistically priced and well‑prepared, and they're quick to move past anything that feels like a stretch.
There's also early evidence that demand is waking back u...
6
Why Are So Many Homeowners Searching This?
This surprised me too, and it says a lot about where the market is headed. Searches for "Can't sell my home" just hit a record high, and when that happens, it usually points to one thing: a wave of frustrated sellers who are about to learn some hard truths about how today's buyers think and behave.
Here's what's really going on beneath the surface:
1. One overpriced home can drag down the whole street.
When a neighbor lists too high and then has to cut the price, buyers don't just judge that one house—they judge the entire block. They assume everything nearby is negotiable or sitting for a reason. That perception can hurt you more than any algorithm or Zestimate ever could, because it shapes buyer psychology before they even step inside your home.
2. Buyers aren't disappearing—they're being selective.
24
Your Timeline
Thinking about talking to a real estate agent can feel a little… early. Maybe you're only thinking about selling. Maybe you're not even sure if moving is the right move. And maybe, even if you did decide to list, it wouldn't be for months. So why start the conversation now?
Because this is actually the perfect moment.
It sounds counterintuitive, but the earlier I connect with someone who's even considering a change, the better the outcome tends to be. When we talk before any decisions are made, there's room to explore possibilities, map out timelines, and understand what makes the most sense for your life—not just your property. Sometimes that leads to a beautifully executed sale. Other times, the smartest plan is not to sell at all.
That's the part most people don't expect. A good agent isn't here to push you into a transaction. A good a...
17
5 Surprising Truths About Selling This Spring
Most of the advice you'll hear this spring sounds the same.
So I wrote The Spring Seller Cheatsheet - advice you probably won't hear from most agents:
1. You don't need to take on a massive renovation. A deep clean and fresh paint often does more than a $30k remodel.
2. A well-priced home on day one almost always nets more than a series of reductions over 90 days.
3. 75% of buyer interest happens in the first 72 hours. Make sure your agent has a plan.
4. The strategy matters more than the market.
5. The agent who tells you exactly what you...
11
A Quick Update on the Market Worth Knowing
I just came across some useful mortgage data and I wanted to share it with you.
In 2022, fewer than 1 in 10 homeowners had rates above 5%.
Today, it's more than 1 in 3.
When more owners aren't locked into low rates, more homes come to market.
That's usually the point where timing starts to matter more.
Want me to run the numbers on your home so you can see what acting earlier vs. later looks like? Send me and email and let's see what your numbers show us.