In the years I've sold Atlanta real estate I've always told my home buyers be prepared to pay the most for the home in the spring market. The reason is simple. In Spring everything is blooming, the flowers, the trees are budding, the grass and trees are filling out in a myriad of colors! Home sellers are like bears emerging from a long winters hibernation are looking forward to the new life and opportunities. They are undaunted in their optimism, and will even take no all the projects they delayed all winter to prove their point! New paint, yard cleaning, pressure wash the winter mold off the siding and driveway ans start working on the landscaping that shows the home at its absolute best! The problem? This optimism rolls over into the pricing arena!
It is very hard to reign in the home prices in Spring because of this optimism! It is the beginning of the selling season in many markets, there is always time to reduce the price! Sellers are off on planet spring and their minds do not want to hear reality! The mantra is always the same! "I just want to see if I can get my price...let's try it for a few weeks and see what we get." That thinking in this market can get you into trouble!
In this Atlanta real estate market with over 86000 Atlanta homes for sale thinking like this can be fatal, the market is very different this year as opposed to years past. There are too many homes for sale, foreclosures, new homes that are all vying for a much smaller supply of buyers. Buyers this year are having a much tougher time of getting a loan because all the financing requirements have recently changed. There are no 100% loans, and self employed are having a very difficult time getting affordable loans.
So this Spring temper your expectations with a does of reality and when selling your home, weigh out all the facts, and price your home accordingly! Atlanta homes that are in great condition, and priced correctly are still selling!
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22 Comments on The Problem with Spring! Selling Homes in Atlanta
I think anytime of year is a good time of year to buy a home. Around here we get more movement in springtime because of people thinking of the next school year.
Oh do I hear your message loud and clear - spring here is not full of color but melting snow - and with that the buyers do come out - and we are doing our best to get the price right too
Wow, Jim, 86,000 homes on the market?! That is a lot of homes, pricing a home wrong in any market right now, especially yours will make the difference between the home selling or sitting stale.
Great post Jim.. I have started to see agent hitting the streets again.. we have had more showing appointments day by day... this week we are sending out a "spring cleaning" letter to all our listings telling them time to get ready buyers are on their way.
Duane Marlink, Rate A Home Yep we're waiting for that uptick in activity! It is a great time to buy, lots of homes to choses from, great rates if the home is priced right!
GITA BANTWAL, REALTOR BUCKS COUNTY, PA HOMES Thanks Gita! It is all about price. 92% of all home marketing is price! This is a price critical market. Wrong price? It will not sell!
Sound advice for new Sellers in every area! As I tell Sellers in my listing presentation--it's not location, location, location anymore--it's price, price, price!
Hi Jim - great reminder to sellers that price rules, especially in this market. Spring does bring with it all kinds of hope, hope springs eternal in all things, including the housing market!
Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO Atlanta, GA More about me…
RE/MAX Greater Atlanta
Office Phone: (770) 238-0122
Cell Phone: (770) 664-9516
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Atlanta real estate broker associate, real estate columnist for www.RealtyTimes.com, real estate speaker. Real estate marketing, Internet marketing for real estate, real estate coaching
In the years I've sold 
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I think anytime of year is a good time of year to buy a home. Around here we get more movement in springtime because of people thinking of the next school year.