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Serious buyers don't stop looking....so sellers, take heed!

By
Real Estate Agent with Alain Pinel BRE 01367196

Why do people wait until after the holidays to list their home for sale?

We often wonder why people prefer to list their properties for sale in spring and summer --- and no, weather is not a factor here in Alameda CA --- because serious buyers don't stop looking. Some industry experts will say that selling a home during the holidays is a good time.

Perhaps one of the reasons why people wait to list their homes for sale after the holidays is because they don't want to have to worry about showing the property when there are guests in town, or when they themselves are out of town. Some may argue that this is perhaps the best time to show the property when it's all decked out to invoke the most festive emotions.

However, if home sellers need to sell....they should take advantage when the inventory is low, and there's less competition among other home sellers. Buyers are very anxious about the market, fearing that prices and interest rates will rise. And the prediction for the coming year is that yes, they will.

See NAR Sees Home Prices Rising in 2014, Rates Jumping to 5.4%

If the home sellers need to sell, and then plan to buy another home later, then they will be in the same boat as other home buyers. Perhaps for these home sellers, they should ask themselves the same question: what is the real cost of buying? KCMBlog.com illustrates the ramifications of waiting in this blog Buying a House: The Cost If You Waited

 

Alameda CA's most expensive home is in contract after only 11 days

Alameda CA is a small island, population around 75,000. Because of our proximity to city hubs, and the city's reputation for academic excellence as well as fairly low crime rate per capita, it's a very desirable community where home buyers flock.

The island's most expensive home was listed at $3,300,000 with 5 bedrooms/4 baths and 6,631 sq ft. The listing was activated on December 2, 2013 and had an accepted contract on December 13 --- eleven days!

Inventory is very low. At this time, there are only 24 homes for sale, from a low of $229,000 for a 1 bedroom/1 bath co-op, to a high of $2,499,000 for a property with 8 bedrooms/4 baths and 4,075 sq ft. 

Demand remains high. Why wait?

 

Comments(2)

Lisa Friedman
Great American Dream Realty - Essex, VT
35 Years of Real Estate Experience!

Pacita, I always encourage people to list during the holidays as there is so much less competition.  I purchased one of my houses on New Year's Eve.

Dec 22, 2013 10:29 AM
Pacita Dimacali
Alain Pinel - Oakland, CA
Alameda/Contra Costa Counties CA

Lisa --- most sellers, if they're still living in the home, probably prefer to wait until after the holidays because they don't want to have to worry about keeping the property in show condition at all times, specially if they have company

Dec 30, 2013 03:53 PM