Mark McNitt is a Realtor for Bernstein Realty in Houston
Every week, we ask a Houston real estate professional for their thoughts on the top three stories from the week before. This week, we featured Mark McNitt, Realtor of Bernstein Realty in Houston. Since 1993, Mark has worked with both buyers and sellers and uses the latest technology to guide clients through the process in Houston, TX.
Houston Agent (HA): When people are relocating to Houston, are they more interested in buying or leasing?
Mark McNitt (MM): It depends on their situation. Most relocation corporate families are typically established families, likely advancing in their companies. When it comes to buying in a hot market like Houston, they are limited in their time frame. If they aren’t comfortable making a decision on what to buy, then they will end up renting, which has happened to me twice already this year.
HA: What is the appeal of Houston?
MM: It’s a place where everyone is friendly, as well as a very diverse city, and the cost of living is low. Climate is not too harsh, and we love to run our air conditioners in the Summertime! It’s a great place to make a living and it’s hard not to find a job here. The city has an entrepreneurial spirit, great schools, and with a multitude of landscapes, from forests to the coast. It’s a big city with a small town feel. And don’t get me started on the food. We have more restaurants per capita than any other city in the country. And Houston is a great place to raise a family.
HA: Has the decrease in inventory affected the options on available listings??
AC: Absolutely. There are a lot of theories of why there aren’t more homes for sale. A lot of it may be because in some areas, the prices aren’t quite where they were before the recession. Another factor is “I can sell my house in a week, but where am I gonna go?” which can cause sellers to be hesitant. There is basically a labor shortage in Houston, and we’re about 50,000 homes behind. Listings for Realtors are hard to come by, cause they go quickly.