List Your Home in the Winter

January 23, 2018 / Lisa Dunn / Comments Off

When I meet with clients the goal is to always strategize how we prepare the home for the market that honors the homeowners goals. It’s a mistake to lose out on what is the perfect next home for you because you think you can’t list your home in the winter. The timing of your move should be determined, in large part, on where you are moving to, and when your new place is ready. Go ahead, list your home in the winter if it makes sense for you. Here are 5 very good reasons to list your home in the winter…

5 Reasons to List Your Home in the Winter

Buyers are Serious

Buyers that are out looking for homes in the off-season are serious. They are likely moving because they have to (who would move when it’s 5◦ below zero if they don’t have to). You won’t get a lot of tire kickers this time of year. When you know you are negotiating with a buyer that doesn’t have a lot of choice of homes on the market, and has to move, it puts you in a very strong negotiating position.

Less Competition

Ask anyone when is the best time to sell their home, and you’ll likely hear them say it’s during the spring or summer. This widely held misconception means everyone else who is thinking about moving this year will put their home on the market in the spring or summer. During the off-season of November thru February there are generally fewer homes on the market. Fewer homes on the market means there is less competition for the buyer’s attention. Your home get’s more attention from the serious buyers actively in the market for a home. During the winter months in Minnesota there is a lower supply of homes on the market, which mean

Fewer Appraisal Issues

Appraisals are a very important part of the equation of selling your home. Appraisals determine the highest mortgage a bank will offer to the buyer for your home. When an appraiser completes an appraisal, they look at other similar homes in your neighborhood that have sold in the last 6 months. If your home sells in January, the price for your home is being compared to those homes that sold during the peak summer months. Price your home strategically, and you’ll be able to avoid having an appraiser tell you you’ve sold it for more than what a bank is willing to loan.

Everything is Just a Little Easier

There are a lot of people involved in a real estate transaction. It is imperative that everyone involved pay attention to every last detail to ensure a smooth closing. During the summer months real estate agents, inspectiors, title companies, appraisers, mortgage lenders and movers are all swamped. It seems from April to September trying to get the attention of a professional during the last week of the month is impossible. This can lead to closing delays. Sell during the off season and your much less likely to have delays related to the sale of your home or the logistics of your move.

Tight Senior Housing Market

We’ve all seen new senior housing buildings spring up on every corner of every neighborhood. Don’t mistake that for ample consumer choices. In fact, the best units always lease first. Instead of trying to time the real estate market, organize your move around when your new unit will be ready in the senior housing community. Don’t miss an opportunity to grab the unit most appealing to you. In fact, if you’re willing to make a move to senior housing in the winter, you’ll likely get the best opportunities at the units that are in demand because others mistakenly wait to put their home on the market in the spring!

Key Points:

Your goals should drive when you move and list your home for sale. The season of the real estate market should not be the driving force of the timing of your move. It’s perfectly okay to list your home in the winter.

Organize the timing of your move when your unit in the senior housing community is ready. Don’t let the unit you want get away from you!

A good real estate agent will prioritize your goals and strategize with you to reduce the stress of the sale of your home no matter what time of year it is.

The Change AGEnts group offers a complimentary consultation to answer your questions about how to manage the logistics of your move, how to price your home, strategies to prepare your home for the market, and downsizing tips to make the process as easy as possible. Contact me at lisa@thechangeagent.net.