'It Is Discouraging': Couple Seeking Elusive First Home Posts Plea On Social Media
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – Buying any home in Sacramento has become so difficult, and now, one young and expecting couple is resorting to social media to sell themselves as good buyers.
Esther and Vitaliy Demchyk are expecting a baby boy in just weeks.
"His name is going to be Asher," Esther said.
"We just want to have a place where family can grow," Vitaliy said.
Their search for that perfect home has been a labor of love. It has also left them still looking.
"It is discouraging," Esther said.
Over six months, all their offers have been outbid. The selection in Sacramento County is so small right now, some homes are selling in just hours.
In the spirit of persistence, Vitaliy and Esther decided to try and find a home seller on social media. They posted their photo and their heartwarming story - searching for their first home.
"So I wrote, 'Maybe a shot in the dark, but at this point that's all we have,'" Vitaliy said. "I grew up most of my life here in Citrus Heights and wanted to raise my family here as well."
On the first day, the post got over 1,000 engagements.
"I was definitely really surprised, didn't expect it to blow up like that," Vitaliy said. "Definitely a lot of positive response from the community here."
"This particular couple, I have to say, I really feel for them," Sacramento-based real estate agent Chris Little said.
Little says Sacramento's housing market is tighter than he's seen it in 20 years, with so few homes coming available on the market, and massive demand from people buying from the Bay Area.
He says it will be money, not an inspiring social media post, that will get the Demchyk family their dream home.
"Do I think their social media effort will help them? Probably not," Little said.
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According to the Sacramento Association of Realtors, there are only half the homes on the market now compared to a year ago. And the average home price has jumped to $487,000.
"It's just like a really good city for us to stay in," Vitaliy said.