Zillow gatekeep expensive listings

In the bygone era of low interest rates I would at times peruse luxury house listings on Zillow because there was a small, small chance that one day I might be able to afford one.

These days are long gone, however, luxury real estate is still very much a thing.

It’s pretty depressing when you look at the monthly payment for even a modest home in Southern California these days. Many prospective homebuyers are completely priced out. Maybe this will change, but today is not that day.

This got me thinking… why let someone lose hope if they’ll never be able to afford the house anyways? Instead of letting just anyone browse listings, maybe luxury listings are hidden behind some sort of verification criteria.

In this example, you’d need to verify your net worth in order to see homes you can afford. The interesting thing about this concept is how useful it would be for buyers that are actually qualified. You could imagine a world where getting prequalified only takes a couple taps. Maybe you could even buy on impulse if you had enough cash to deploy.

Either way, I’m staying away from luxury real estate for the forseeable future.

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