There are all sorts of reasons why someone might put up a house for sale in Houston at any given time of the year. People might be needing to relocate because of getting a new job, moving to a new school, or just because they feel like it. Similarly, there are even more reasons why a newly built home might be for sale. But even then, the hunt can be hard.
Houston as a city is known for being one of the fasts growing cities in the US. According to information from the US Census Bureau, about 251 residents were added per day in 2017-18. And of course, these thousands of new residents per year are likely all looking for new places to stay also. At Weichert Realtors, the Murray Group, we always have a great selection of homes in the Houston area to choose from. So if you think you can’t find any at all, here are some reasons why.
Waiting too long
Buying a home is always an important decision, and realtors always recommend that buyers think long and hard about their choice before making it. This is especially true for first-time buyers. However, there is a balance with waiting to buy a home. You don’t want to make your decision so quickly that your overlook important flaws or spend more than you have to, but you also don’t want to wait so long that you lose your home to someone else.
Realtors are experts at finding that sweet spot between waiting and going for it. If you’re having trouble making a decision, contact your realtor and see what they have to say. Realtors will not only know a lot about the house you may want, but they also know about the state of the market and whether you should be making your decision sooner rather than later.
Homeowners becoming landlords
Many homeowners choose to capitalize off the home they leave behind by renting it out to other people. This can earn them a lot of extra money and even become a property that can be passed down through generations. Some homeowners in the modern era may even opt for something like an AirBnb or creating a kind-of-secret bed and breakfast instead of traditionally renting out their home through contracts.
This can be more true in certain areas than others. For example, areas near hotels, downtown, or popular tourist attractions may have more homes-turned-AirBnbs than others. Similarly, areas near colleges or universities may have a lot of rental homes. Many college students find that sharing a house between multiple people is a better deal than getting an apartment.
If you this is happening a lot for you, try seeing what area you’re looking in. If a college or university is under 10 miles away, you might want to be looking a litter further away from it, or perhaps in a different direction. The same is true for any popular tourist attractions such as amusement parks or zoos.
No housing for you, no housing for sellers
People who sell their house often are looking just to move houses within the same city. So if the city you’re looking in has a lack of housing for you, chances are, it’ll also have a lack of housing for people looking to move. Looking in different areas of a city or looking at surrounding or outskirt areas is one way to solve this issue. Another way is to simply wait for the market to change. However, this problem doesn’t happen very often.
Not being flexible
At the end of the day, if you want your perfect dream home to be exactly the way you want it to be, you’ll have to build it yourself. If you know exactly what you want in a home and can’t find it anywhere, chances are it literally hasn’t been built. However, if you’re not willing to build your own home, there are some things you might have to compromise on. Many customers claim that there are no houses in the market for them, but in reality, the criteria for what qualifies as the right house for them is a little too specific.
One feasible way to solve this problem without giving up too much of your vision is to make a list. Take time to write out every quality of a home you can think of that you would want in a perfect world. Then, go through the list again and prioritize what is most important to you. Whatever features make it to the very end of the list are the ones you might want to consider compromising on.
Keep in mind that even if you do find a home that isn’t perfect that you would still love to live in, it could easily sell to someone else fast. When you decide what to compromise on, you’ll have to be sure of your decision, as you’ll likely start competing to own that home quickly.
Not looking with the right realtor
In today’s world, there are many different ways to home search. Some people prefer looking on their own on apps or websites like Zillow that cut out the realtor. Other people choose the first realtor they see and go by everything they say. While realtors have inside knowledge and expertise that systems like Zillow wouldn’t, they also aren’t the ones buying the house. Doing your own research and also having a realtor to help is a good balance between the two.
Of course, if you don’t have particular preferences that would warrant you looking for the home yourself, you don’t have to do any of the work. The best realtors can listen to your preferences and immediately know exactly what to show you. Some realtors, such as us here at Weichert Realtors, The Murray Group, even have their own home search system. For example, our clients can visit our website and search for homes that we sell easily using parameters that are as advanced or as simple as they want.
If you’re struggling to find a house for sale in Houston, our home search system is free for anyone to use. If you’re sure about looking for a home in the Houston, Katy, or surrounding areas today, contact the Murray Group and we can help you get started.