Real estate roundup

Ask anyone who's purchased a house in Chico over the past couple of years, and you'll likely hear a story about the difficulties associated with Butte County's hottest market. There are a lot of factors at play, including a robust economy, but it mostly comes back to supply and demand.

Indeed, due to a lack of construction during the economic recovery following the Great Recession, there's very little inventory from which to choose. The result: higher home values—and corresponding price tags that often creep up further during bidding wars between eager homebuyers.

To gain more perspective on the matter, for our annual Business Issue, the CN&R reached out to local developers, real estate professionals, flippers and others to get a grasp on the challenges and opportunities in this sellers' market, as well as what's on the horizon in the local housing realm.