Appreciation post: How sitting on my hands during a hot market actually worked
Last spring, I was determined to buy a house before rates rose. Every open house was packed with offers flying in same day. I bid on a cute bungalow, but it sold for way over asking. Instead of panicking, I told myself to wait. I kept renting and saving, even though it felt like I was missing out. Come fall, the frenzy slowed and sellers got nervous. I found a similar house listed lower, talked them down, and closed without drama. My tip? In a crazy market, sometimes the smartest thing is to just wait and avoid the hype.
Funny how waiting filters out two types of buyers. The ones who panic-buy anything just to get in a house, and the ones who actually know what they want. Saw people in spring overpay for terrible layouts just to win. By fall, those same rushed buyers were already complaining about their bad choices, while the patient folks could pick a house that actually worked for them.