Pricing a Home in Sacramento Ahead of the Curve

Pricing a home in Sacramento ahead of the curve is the strategy a few select Sacramento real estate agents are offering to today’s sellers. It means pricing a home where you think the market is heading and not where the market is now. This strategy doesn’t work so well if the home is difficult to sell or is unique. It works well in areas of high demand where buyers are lined up the minute a home goes on the market — in places like Natomas, Elk Grove and Lincoln.

In Elk Grove today, you can pretty much walk the line of buyers with an order pad and pen, asking each what they will pay for this home in Elk Grove advertised at $185,000. Guy first in line might say $200,000. Tear off a ticket and write $200,000 on it. Woman behind him will smirk and promise she’ll pay $220,000. Tear off a ticket and write $225,000 on it. Couple behind both of them will trump those offers and, my goodness, they’ll pay $250,000. And so it goes. Throw your pad and pen in the air. Nobody has any regard as to whether the home will appraise when push comes to shove. They’re just thinking about their mortgage payment.

Why? Because every $10,000 increment at 3.5% interest equates to an additional $45 per month. If the home would appraise, a buyer could increase an offer by $50,000 and pay only an additional $225, less than, say, an HOA fee. Buyers don’t know how real estate works. They don’t understand that an appraiser will need to find solid comparable sales to justify a price that is $50,000 higher than any other home near it. And if they do understand, they are hoping that when the appraisal comes in less, the seller will lower her price.

A price ahead of the curve might be $225,000. Because in 30 to 45 days, there might be comparable sales at that price. Of course, you won’t get a ton of buyers. You probably won’t get multiple offers. None of that excitement. But you might get 2 offers, and one of those will be an offer you can take. All you need is that one offer from one committed and qualified buyer at a price that will close escrow. If you need more information on pricing a home in Sacramento, call Elizabeth Weintraub at 916.233.6759.