buyers paying full asking prices

hello, long time lurker, first time poster... we saw two places in yorkville in the last month that we really like. Neither places are perfect - one was on the corner of east end ave but without a view, the other didn't have laundry in the building and had a small dent in the floorboards. One is now in contract and the other is about to be, with the buyers paying close to full price (or so the listing brokers tell us). From the histories that I see, the asking prices seem to represent circa 2006. what the hell?! stop it you rubes, you're ruining it for the rest of us!!!!