I have a few bad reputations in the office.  One is for being cranky on Fridays; the other is for not being able to make a decision if my life depended on it. So when I decided I was looking for a new home in Sacramento, the search was daunting.  How could I find the perfect house at the right price and know that it would provide financial returns in this unstable market? 

But over the weekend I moved into my very first home in Roseville.  It’s official.  The Barcellona team is now comprised of 100% homeowners. I was the straggler in the office, the epitome of an on-the-fence buyer. I spent months debating whether or not prices would continue to go down or if I would be able to get more from a builder a few months down the line. But then it hit me…there is never a better time to buy then when you are ready, regardless of what is happening in the market. Buying a home is the American dream and you can never lose. The bonus for me is that I found a home that I love in a market that is very favorable to buyers. 

The temperament of the current market allows for buyers to request almost anything—from free maid service for a year to a built-in pool and all the appliances. Heck, I just asked for all of it. Whatever you need (or even just want), builders may be more willing to make it happen in a down market, which puts any new home-buyer or resale-buyer in a great position to negotiate. We’ve all heard this before, but I am a living, breathing recipient of their down-market generosity.

The process wasn’t completely stress-free. It did come with its own set of hassles, but I know it is going to be a good investment. Many long-term studies have proven that there is never a bad time to buy a home, especially if you hold on to it long enough. These bad times, which may seem like market dives, are really no more than a blip on the radar when you look at long-term housing statistics or future projections. And what better time to buy than when the market is down? 

Even if the market does continue to go down, it is practically guaranteed that prices will eventually rise past the current mark and create equity for your family. The moral of this story: if I can jump off the fence and buy a home in this market, anybody can and should. So why wait? I didn’t.

Now I can move on to the more important decisions…like what color to paint my new living room.

Lesley Albright

Back to The Blog