It's Still about Location. It Always Was.

Barbara Corcoran once said:

“Every home I ever bought, I bought the best location I could possibly afford, and very often couldn’t afford it. I was always afraid I couldn’t sell it. Later on, if it’s the best location, you can always sell it.”

She’s right. And anyone who’s lived through more than one real estate cycle knows why.

For all the talk about countertops, open floor plans, smart homes, and “move-in ready,” the truth hasn’t changed in decades:

Location is the one thing you can’t fix, upgrade, or outgrow.

You can renovate a kitchen.

You can add a bathroom.

You can repaint, reconfigure, refresh.

You cannot move the house.

The Fear Is Real and Completely Normal

Almost every smart buyer I’ve worked with has had the same moment of hesitation:

“What if we’re stretching too far?”

“What if the market shifts?”

“What if we can’t sell someday?”

That fear usually shows up right before a good decision.

Because buying a better location often feels uncomfortable at first. It might mean:

    •    A smaller home

    •    A dated kitchen

    •    Fewer bells and whistles

But what it quietly gives you is leverage - today and in the future.

Why the Best Locations Always Win

In strong markets and weak ones, the same pattern repeats:

    •    The best locations sell first

    •    They sell with more competition

    •    They hold value better

    •    They recover faster after downturns

When inventory tightens, buyers don’t say, “I’ll take the worst street.”

They say, “What’s the best area I can still get into?”

That demand never disappears - it just shifts.

The Renovation Myth

Buyers often fall in love with finishes and forget fundamentals.

A beautiful house in a compromised location may feel safer because it’s turnkey. But over time, those finishes age, styles change, and what once felt “special” becomes…ordinary.

Meanwhile, the well-located home - the one near town, transportation, great schools, or simply on the right street, keeps its edge.

Location compounds. Granite does not.

The Long View Is Where the Money Is Made

Barbara Corcoran wasn’t buying comfort.

She was buying position.

The smartest real estate decisions are rarely the most comfortable in the moment. They’re the ones that make sense five, ten, fifteen years later.

If a home checks every box except location, that’s not a small exception. That’s the biggest one.

Because in real estate - now, then, and always, you don’t buy the house you love today.

You buy the one everyone will want tomorrow.