Should Your Home Stay on the Market after Halloween?
Is there an automatic cutoff date for the housing market in your area? I received an email yesterday from a seller that was asking if it was worth it for them to consider listing their home now, prior to Thanksgiving or waiting until the spring.
In the Cedar Rapids area, there is definitely fewer buyers in the market to purchase at this time of the year. But there is also a lot less competition too. In the spring, there is more of both buyers and competing listings.
My advice? In any market, there is advantages no matter what time of year it is. A clean and well-priced home that is easy to show, sells no matter what the weather may bring. So if your home is not market ready, meaning that you have a list of things that you would like to get done, it might be best for you to wait.
First impressions are important. Your home should only go on the market if everything on your list has been completed. The first two weeks are the most important as buyers are seeing your home first through the photos and then in person through an agent or through a public open house. That is the best exposure for your home and provides the best opportunity for you to sell.
In the spring and summer months, you may find that there are many buyers out looking. The problem is that usually they have a home to sell first or they may be waiting for school to get out for the summer before they make a move. In the winter months, I don't know many buyers that go and out and look at homes for fun. I have found that buyers and sellers at this time of the year are more motivated as they would not be looking unless they really needed to make a move.
Call me for a FREE consultation and market analysis for your home and neighborhood. If there are not many homes on the market and the trends show that you will have success, the timing might just be right for you to come onto the market now!
Keep smiling!
Karen
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