Regular People are Buying Real Estate (again)

The hardest part of a real estate slump is when it starts, there's no official notification, and when its coming to an end, no one tells you that either. You have to figure that one out yourself.
That's because real estate isn't just local, it's also very personal. Real estate is an area where perception truly is reality and frankly I'm seeing regular people's perception right now as though it's a darn good time to buy real estate.
Here's two classic examples we just brokered. A senior couple wants to simplify and downsize so we list their home for sale for 199K. It sells for 185K (typical in Litchfield County at 93% of list price). At first glance, you might argue they are taking a big hit. Yet the home they purchased listed at 205K, and closed at 183K. It is worth noting that real estate isnt always just about the numbers, at least regular people dont view it that way. In this case, these regular folks got the home they really wanted, got rid of the house they no longer wanted and even managed to make a few thousand dollars along the way. Sounds like a square deal to me.
The next scenario involves specific markets. Seller has a very upscale property in a resistantly strong market (primarily due to outstanding schools) so they are able to sell within 40 days at 96% of listing price and closed at 785K. Since the kids are now out of high school, they move to a more rural area not more than 5 miles away, choosing a property that we researched and were able to close on a property at 562K which was listed at 625K. This is the classic case of selling high and buying low.
Two very different scenarios, each with equally satisfactory results.