I heard a couple more comments this weekend about the seller’s dilemma — the conversation we had in the blog last week.
DF, the North Park homeowner who started this whole thread with his “Am I stupid?” question, wrote to say thanks for your suggestions and advice. He hoped the responses were enlightening for other readers in his same situation:
I still go back and forth concerning our desire to hop back into the market, but at least I know that decision wouldn’t be completely, mind-numbingly ludicrous.
Reader NH added his sentiment:
You comment that buyers are in a “bargain mode” The ones who are actually purchasing are still paying about 60% more for a home than the home sold for in the 2000. I doubt that very many buyers have seen their incomes rise by 60%.
I think the sellers are trying to exploit buyers.
Another reader, BZ, pointed to a couple of recent predictions for the San Diego housing market in 2009. USD economist Alan Gin predicted a 10 percent further drop in the Case-Shiller home price index. And Fortune magazine named San Diego the eighth worst marketing in the country, anticipating a 21 percent drop in 2009 and a 3 percent drop for 2010.
Here’s BZ:
Assuming that these two predictions are credible, it actually makes “money sense” to sell your house high right now and buy low one year later
Thanks for all of your comments. This is probably the last post for a bit on this topic, though I’d bet this is something we’ll be talking more about in the coming months.