As a Realtor I get asked all the time: When is the best time to Sell and/or buy?
Answer: When you are ready! Not the year before, and not the year after.
This is not being flippant, this is the truth, and it really, truly is that easy.
Waiting for the optimal time to sell, will find you looking back at yester-year wishing you had sold then.
Moving forward based on projections of a worsening market will find you looking forward to what may not come and you miss your opportunity.
As a seller, the first thing that must happen is to determine your objectives or goals in the transaction. Moving up? Moving down? Changing markets?
If you are moving up within the same market: the timing becomes somewhat moot (other than how it relates to your interest rate), because the loss that you feel in the sale during a buyers market will be made up on the purchase. The gains you feel in a sellers market will be gobbled up on your purchase.
Moving down - well the same principle applies only backwards.
If you are moving from one market to another market, the determining factor becomes do you want to rent in the new market after your home sales until the buyer market comes around - or do you want to wait to time your sell in the seller's market of your current location and pick the peak buyers market for your destination market - good luck with that one.
What about seasonal trends - well spring does have a lot more activity in listings, buyers, showings, etc - although at the same token, winter provides less listings, and equally less buyers, which equate to the same percentages of buyer to seller ratio in many many cases. Thus the DOM is pretty consistent throughout the year in most markets whether it is spring or fall. So again - when you are ready.
As a realtor - our position should not be to tell people when they should, or when they shouldn't, but provide information on current trends, marketing and provide a high level of service providing buyers and sellers the best information so that they can make the best decisions for themselves. Real Estate is a Service Industry and not a commodoties industry.
While this seems like an overall generally optimistic view, this is the reality. The best time to make a move is when you are ready to achieve your objectives and goals!
And Remember - The best time for a deal to buy a Christmas tree is....... The day after Christmas - but what good does that do us.
"Duke Of Real Estate"
Collin Duke, CNS
Realtor®
http://www.dukeofrealestate.com/
The Michelle Musick Jones Team
http://www.michellesellsdallas.com/
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage
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