Buyers Aren’t Gone, Good Deals Still Move.
Specialist · Houston, TX · Member since 2026 · 31 posts · 19 votes
Buyers Aren’t Gone, Good Deals Still Move.
3 Replies
I think you’re exactly right — buyers haven’t disappeared, but the market has definitely become much more selective.
Over the last couple of years, almost anything reasonably renovated would move quickly because buyers were competing against low inventory and cheap debt. Today, affordability pressure and higher borrowing costs have changed buyer behavior significantly.
What we’re seeing now is more of a “flight to quality.”
The well-renovated properties that are:
- priced correctly
- designed thoughtfully
- move-in ready
- and located in stable submarkets
are still moving relatively fast.
But average flips with rushed finishes, overpricing, or layouts that don’t align with current buyer expectations are sitting longer and seeing multiple price reductions.
From a lending and investor perspective, this is also forcing operators to become much more disciplined with:
- rehab budgets
- ARV assumptions
- hold times
- and exit pricing strategies
The margin for error is simply smaller now.
Another thing I’m noticing is that buyers are scrutinizing renovation quality far more closely than before. During the hotter market cycle, people overlooked imperfections because they were afraid to miss out. Now they’re negotiating harder and expecting more value for the price point.
So overall, I wouldn’t describe the market as “dead” — I’d describe it as more rational and quality-sensitive. The best projects are still performing, but mediocre execution is getting exposed much faster than it did a couple years ago.
- 5moJimmy LieuBusiness MemberReal Estate Agent · Columbus, OH · Member since 2019 · 3k+ posts · 2k+ votesI’m seeing the same thing in a lot of markets right now. Buyers are definitely still out there, but they’ve become much more value-conscious compared to the frenzy a couple years ago when almost anything would sell quickly. The clean, well-renovated properties that are priced correctly and don’t feel “cheaply flipped” still tend to move fast, especially if they’re in solid school districts or desirable neighborhoods. The ones sitting are usually overpriced, have dated finishes, awkward layouts, or were purchased too high and the seller is trying to force the numbers. Higher interest rates have made monthly payments matter a lot more, so buyers are scrutinizing everything now and negotiating harder because they actually have leverage again. In a weird way, it feels more like a normal market instead of the chaos we saw before. I think operators who focus on quality renovations, realistic pricing, and conservative deal analysis are still doing fine, while the “paint it gray and list it way above comps” strategy is getting exposed pretty quickly.
Quote from @Frank Ransom:
Feels like the market’s gotten a lot more selective lately. I’m seeing average flips sit longer, more price cuts, and buyers negotiating harder than they were a year or two ago.
But at the same time, the really clean renovated properties still seem to move pretty fast if they’re priced right.
Almost feels like buyers aren’t gone, they’re just way pickier now.
Curious what everyone else is seeing in their market right now. Are good renovated properties still moving quickly where you are, or has everything started slowing down?
Jimmy Lieu, Red 1 Realty4.9122 Reviews
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