Have you ever nuked a burrito and bit into the icy cold center only to give third degree burns to your tongue when you bite the outer portion?

That pretty much sums up the housing market in West Michigan. 

While the rest of state is seeing the effects of inflation and a quickly cooling market, West Michigan is red hot. Yes, there was about a six week period of cooling off (right around the holidays) but that was only a short break in the otherwise white hot market.

So what are we seeing?

For the seller:

• Multiple offers still exists (though only in the teens and not the 20-30 offers we were seeing during the pandemic
• Still some cash buyers though not as many
• EXTREMELY low inventory that is not likely to change for 3-5 years!

For the buyer:

• Make sure you have your ducks in a row and ready to put in a legitimate offer 
• Be ready to work to get an accepted offer. You're likely going to have to make a few to get one 
• Be realistic in your expectations and if you can find someone that is willing to work directly with you (family, coworker, etc) then take the opportunity

The question I get asked alot is should I buy or sell now? The answer, like a properly cooked microwave burrito is, YES. (I don't really see how that's connected but I'm commited to the burrito analogy).

For the seller:

• Some homes are still going above asking and even those that aren't are still getting way higher prices than before the pandemic (Want to know what your home is worth? Click HERE)
• Inventory is low and builders are producing multifamily homes vs. single family homes. Maybe it's time to downsize into a condo? (We can help with that)

For buyer:

• A lot of homes on the market are more than before the pandemic but a lot of those have been updated during the pandemic. This means you won't have to spend a lot money to upgrade!
• Interest rates are higher, there's no denying it. But we are still WAY below what they were a decade or so ago. And, when rates to go back down, you can always refinance!
• There are some great programs to help first time buyers. Federal, state and even local lender grants are becoming more and more available. And some sellers are willing to help with closing costs! (Want to know what is avalable? Click HERE)

Real estate, whether you are buying or selling, is a tricky, fast paced frozen burrito and you want to make sure whoever is heating it up for you is confident and professional enough to know that you have to flip it over halfway through to make sure it's cooked properly so that it won't give you an ice cream headache or a 3rd degree lip blister.

Yeah, I'm the new guy on the block but I have an entire real estate team with decades of experience to help me and you navigate that microwave of buying or selling a home.

So let us!