Boom & Bust, Part 1 [South Florida]
They peeked in the closets. They sniffed the kitchen and breezed through the Spanish-style three-bedroom on San Lorenzo Avenue in Coral Gables, which was going for $653,900. Minutes later, they retreated to the cool air of the black limousine minibus waiting at the curb.
The nine potential buyers were trailed and outnumbered by a gaggle of hungry real estate folks.
As the group settled into cushy seats and sipped bottled water, Luis Barrenechea, a dapper loan consultant in his late thirties sporting an Italian suit and a Bluetooth, asked, “What was the first impression when you saw the house?”
Silence followed. This was the fifth home they’d seen that Saturday in April. It was after noon. Some were hungry. The breakfast spread of Krispy Kremes, bagels, and champagne was wearing off.