But, he said, it's actually usually cheaper to buy an older remodel and simply update the finishes instead of the infrastructure, like the electrical and plumbing systems.
"It is more cost-effective to buy somebody else's kind of tired, remodeled [home,] but the market doesn't really see it that way," Rushton said.
Perhaps there's something about the prospect of starting over, from scratch, that is appealing to residents looking for a home. Though starting completely over is usually out of the question.
Getting a demolition permit is almost impossible, Rushton said — the city has stringent building regulations.
Even properties that have been extensively remodeled and look brand new still have the original build dates, since the city's building department requires them to keep a certain amount of the property intact. Rushton said he's never sold a home that's been demolished.
"I've seen places where that would be the economical thing to do," Rushton said. "If they were anywhere else, they would just be torn down. But that's just not a thing in this neck of the woods."