MORE Real Estate

The 1920s bungalow with the original windows. The 1940s cottage with the clawfoot tub. The 1960s ranch with the wood paneling that everyone is suddenly nostalgic for.
Character is the word every buyer uses on the first showing.
Then the inspection report comes back. The original windows are single pane and the energy bills will prove it. The clawfoot tub is sitting on a subfloor that needs to be replaced. The wood paneling is hiding plaster walls that have not been touched since the Eisenhower administration.
Character is real. It is also expensive.
The buyers who actually love an older home know what they are signing up for. They have already budgeted for the roof, the windows, the electrical, the plumbing, and the things they will not find until they pull back a piece of trim.
The buyers who fall for the word "character" on a Sunday afternoon are usually the ones calling on Tuesday asking if they can back out of the contract.
If you love an older home, love it with your eyes open. The character is worth it. The surprises are not.
Tell me which one you are. Are you a character buyer or a brand new construction buyer?

The millennial dream home changed and most agents have not caught up.
For a decade, every buyer walked in with the same list. Open floor plan. White kitchen. Big backyard. Walk-in closet. Then they bought the house and learned what that floor plan actually sounds like with a toddler and a dog and a Zoom call happening at the same time.
The buyers walking through homes right now want walls. They want a dining room that is not the kitchen. They want a laundry room with a door. They want a smaller footprint that does not require a Saturday of maintenance every week.
This shift is showing up in what actually sells, what sits, and what buyers are willing to pay over asking for.
What part of your dream home list has already changed? Drop it in the comments.