Cara Ameer

The debate over what to fix or not when putting a home on the market is a hot topic ripe with different opinions. The answers depend on who you ask. Ask 10 different agents, and you are likely to get 10 different viewpoints. In today’s market, where affordability is challenged by higher interest rates and buyers’ budgets have shrunk, many don’t have an extra outlay of cash to put into a home.

Last week, Compass announced a three-year partnership with Redfin and Rocket to display “coming soon” and private exclusive listings. The listings will appear on Redfin’s website to some 60 million users. I knew something like this had to be coming.

Homebuyers canceled purchases at their highest rate in December, so what gives? It’s the sum of many parts and reflects the perfect storm of where we are today. Let’s face it. Buying and selling a home has gotten much more nuanced than it used to be. People and their situations have gotten more complicated. And as for properties? Well, many have aged and need substantial repair, replacement and in some cases a total overhaul.