If I Was Planning a Move This Year, Here’s How I’d Think About It

If you’re thinking about making a move this year, here’s the part no one really explains.

This isn’t a good market or a bad market.

It’s a selective market.

Some moves work really well right now.

Some moves are slow, frustrating, and expensive.

The biggest risk isn’t buying too high or selling too low.

It’s misreading where you actually have leverage.

Most people ask, “Is now a good time to buy or sell?”

That’s the wrong question.

The better question is:

What kind of move am I making, and how does this market treat people like me?

Here’s how I’d think about it.

First-Time Buyers

If you’re buying your first home, this market is confusing.

Prices are down from the peak.

Rates are down from the highs.

The economy feels shaky, but not broken.

And everyone keeps telling you to wait.

Waiting feels safe. But waiting without preparation is risky.

This is one of the few moments where buyers actually have leverage.

More choice.

More negotiating room.

Time to think.

But that leverage disappears fast if you’re not ready.

What I see hurt first-time buyers isn’t paying too much.

It’s finally finding the right home and not being able to act.

Someone else who is ready steps in.

Suddenly the market “got hot again” for that one house.

If I was buying my first home this year, I wouldn’t rush.

I’d get my finances clean. Not pretty good. Clean.

I’d be picky. I’d walk away easily.

But when the right home shows up, I’d move fast.

Leverage only works if you can use it.

Most first-time buyers don’t lose because of price.

They lose because of hesitation at the wrong moment.

Downsizing

If you’re downsizing, this is the toughest emotional move in the market right now.

The homes most downsizers are selling sit in the slowest segment of the market.

Larger homes.

Higher price points.

More competition.

Most downsizers still have a number in their head.

That number made sense a few years ago.

It doesn’t control the market today.

The real decision usually isn’t price.

It’s what matters more:

Getting the move done, or waiting for the market to come back.

Both can be valid.

Pretending you can have both is where people get stuck.

If timing matters, preparation matters more than ever.

Your home has to stand out to a very specific buyer, not “buyers in general.”

If timing doesn’t matter, patience can work.

But patience only works if you’re emotionally prepared to wait longer than you expect.

Most downsizers don’t struggle because they chose wrong.

They struggle because they never chose at all.

Upsizing

Upsizing is where this market quietly works really well.

And almost no one is talking about it.

The more affordable parts of the market are still moving.

Starter homes.

Townhomes.

Good family homes.

But the homes people are upgrading into are negotiable.

That gap creates opportunity.

Only if you play it clean.

Offers that are conditional on selling your home are weak right now.

They don’t feel safe to sellers.

If I was upsizing this year, I’d sell first.

That turns you into a buyer with options, not pressure.

When you sell first, you’re not asking for a deal.

You’re choosing one.

The people who win here aren’t aggressive.

They’re positioned.

Selling an Investment Property

If you’re selling an investment property, this market is unforgiving.

Pure investors are quiet. Very quiet.

They’re only buying great deals.

If your property only works on paper, it will sit.

The highest-value buyer right now is often an owner-occupier.

That means presentation matters.

Vacant possession matters.

And sometimes the price just needs to move.

The market doesn’t reward optimism right now.

It rewards clarity.

Buying an Investment Property

If you’re buying an investment, there are more options than we’ve seen in years.

Cottages.

Vacation homes.

Rentals.

Multi-unit properties.

But most of what’s for sale isn’t a deal.

It’s just unsold.

The difference between a deal and a distraction is the seller.

Motivation matters more than the spreadsheet.

This isn’t a market where you win by being early.

You win by being selective.

The Big Picture

Same market. Very different outcomes.

If your move depends on certainty, this year feels uncomfortable.

If your move depends on leverage and positioning, this year can work.

Only if you’re honest about which one you are.

This is where most people get stuck.

Not because they don’t have options.

Because they don’t want to face the trade-offs.

If this matches how you’re thinking and you want to talk it through without pressure, reach out.

Markets don’t make decisions.

People do.

And the right move looks different depending on what you’re trying to do.