It’s September and between vacation, work and family obligations, you’ve
procrastinated putting your home on the market. Now you worry it’s too late. And
if you could sell, would you be able to find a home you want to buy?
According to real estate experts, autumn offers some great opportunities for both
listing and buying a home. It can be the perfect time for you to get into the market
for a variety of reasons:
1. Buyers are plentiful
“Fall is the time when things really start to pick up,” explains Dino Guagenti,
owner and broker at Real Living CCR Realtors in Lima. “July and August are
probably our slowest months because of vacations. If people are serious and
really need to buy a house, they’ll be looking in fall.”
Also, experts predict that strong sales are likely to continue throughout the
holidays, depending on the weather. “If we have a mild winter like last year, we’ll
be busy through the whole year,” says Guagenti.
2. If priced right, homes sell quickly
Because there are fewer homes for sale now than in spring, there’s more
competition among buyers to make an offer. “We’ve got the buyers out there,”
says Guagenti. “If houses are priced right, they’re selling in a matter of days.”
Also, since there are fewer transactions this time of year, mortgage lenders are
less busy, home inspectors are easier to reach and attorneys have less closings
to file. All of this means less stress when you need to finalize the sale of a home.
3. Mortgage rates are still low
Lending rates are remarkably low at the moment, but rates are predicted to rise
sometime in the near future. With rates still low, you can afford more in a home if
you buy now rather than later.
If you’re planning on selling, and you wait to list your home until next spring, rates
may rise, which could price some buyers out of your range. That could potentially
mean a loss of thousands of dollars.
4. The holidays offer a chance to stage your home
A vibrant pot of mums at the door, a fire in the fireplace and the aroma of spiced cider coming from the kitchen can all charm a potential buyer and help them to envision themselves living in a home.
The holidays also give buyers an opportunity to really see if the neighborhood – do neighbors put out pumpkins for Halloween? Do they decorate and make an effort to celebrate the area they live in? Where you decide to live can be as important as the house you live in.
Whether you’re a buyer or seller, you can get the best deal this season with the help of an experienced, local real estate brokerage, like Real Living CCR Realtors. For more information about their services, visit RealLiving.com/CCR-Relators or call 419-222-0555.
