Screw “Location, Location, Location” In Center City It Can Be All About “Condition, Condition, Condition.”
When enthusiasm drips from a buyers mouth-
Every “Ohh” is worth $5,000
and every “Ahh” is worth $10,000
Location is always going to be a determining factor in price as well as long term value retention. But there are mitigating factors in the Center City condo market that are going to dilute the power of a strong location in driving prices over the long haul. That major factor would be interior condition and the visual impact of any given Center City condo. Here are a few factors that may help the power of a condo’s condition to play a huge role in determining value:
Disbursement Of Wealth- Twenty years ago, if you had $1,000,000 you bought on Rittenhouse Square-period. Today, we will find that every neighborhood has broken the $1M barrier. And it is getting much easier for buyers to find high end condo product in some locations that might have been unfathomable even five years ago.
First Time Buyers and Empty Nesters- Clearly the dominate driving forces in the Center City condo buying segment. AND what do they both have in common? They both want a strong interior condition as neither seem to favor the condos that need work. Trying to get either to buy a fixer upper is an uphill battle (generally speaking).
Everything is out the window when buyers fall in love- You would pretty much have to be new to this planet to not know that concept. I have found that most buyers buy with their eyes. More often than not, buyers will forego the strength of the location in order to buy the condos that really strike a visual chord.
In no way should this argument be a vote for a weaker location than perhaps what you have in mind. However over the long haul, you might be surprised to find just how important condition is to the overall value retention of your condominium here in Center City. Ugly is an 800 pound albatross that can and will drive down your value like no other condominium attribute- And it may not matter if you are sitting in the perfect location. To underestimate the value of strong interior and visual appeal would be to underestimate the overall value of any given
Center City condominium.
