by Norma Langston | Nov 14, 2018 | Featured Post
‘Tis the Season to Sell: 6 Reasons You Shouldn’t Take Your Home Off the Market for the Holidays
As we careen at warp speed toward Thanksgiving, Christmas, and all of the joyous festivities in between, you might be tempted to take your home off the market—or hold off on listing it—until after the new year. After all, you’re swamped with cooking, shopping, and decorating, and the last thing you need is a bunch of potential buyers traipsing through your house, right?
Wrong. It’s a big mistake to either remove your home from the market during the holiday season, or to not put your home on the market if you’re getting ready to sell.
Why? The first reason is painfully obvious: Your house can’t actually sell if it’s off the market. Leaving your home on the market is the right choice. Sure, people are busy, but wouldn’t you rather see people in your house when it’s messy with baking in the kitchen than miss the house? Let somebody else take their house off the market and miss out!
In fact, this time of year can actually be ideal for selling. Here’s why.
1. Your listing will rise to the top
If homeowners in your hood take a break from the market because they don’t want to bother keeping their properties in show-ready condition over the holidays, that makes for reduced inventory. And that means buyers who are actively searching will be more likely to uncover your listing.
During the busy spring market, for example, you have way more competition than during the holidays. So you’re much more likely to get your home sold when you’re not competing with more potential sellers.
2. Your house looks (and smells) amazing during the holidays
With festive greenery, the sweet aroma of cookies baking, and a warm fire in the hearth, you’ve got built-in ambiance—meaning you can appeal to buyers’ senses in a way that you can’t during other times of the year. With that nice, homey feeling, homes tend to show a lot better during the holidays, while making people feel really good. Plus, chances are good you’ll tap into some buyer sentimentality: During the holidays, we tend to feel nostalgic about family, home, and memories. That can cause a nesting instinct to kick in—and that often results in a sale.
Don’t go overboard with decorations, though. Even though it’s the holidays, you still don’t want too much clutter. And remember: Buyers need to imagine their furniture in each room, so avoid blocking important selling features such as large windows and fireplace mantels. And if you live in a colder climate, be sure walkways and stairs are always shoveled clean, and turn your thermostat up before each showing to keep things toasty. When you walk in and it’s warm and cozy, that helps in the selling process.
3. Holiday buyers aren’t messing around
Yes, things typically slow down in the weeks leading up to the holidays. But there are still people actively looking for homes and ready to pounce—or those who just entered the market on a short timeline and need to buy fast.
The people who are out there looking at homes during the holidays are serious buyers. And in areas where you have bad weather, these buyers are going to weather the storms—pun intended—to visit your property. Potential buyers who take the time to set up home tours during the holiday season are also more motivated to move forward if they like what they see. These are not tire-kickers just looking around because it’s fun; those are all weeded out.
4. Families often search during school breaks
Speaking of serious buyers: Relocating families often capitalize on the holidays as a time to move without tumult on the kids. They want to find the right property, have stress-free negotiations, and get their brood settled before school starts up again in January. It’s a good time to show your house to people from out of town.
5. It can be easier to close a transaction in December
Buyers can often get their loans processed and approved faster in November or December than they would in the traditionally busy spring months. It all comes down to the holiday slowdown: Fewer home sales are on deck to process, plus lenders are motivated to close deals before the end of the year.
6. The holidays give you a chance to adjust your selling strategy
If your home’s been languishing on the market for several weeks—or months (eek!)—you might be feeling antsy. Maybe the best solution is to take it off the market and try again after the new year.
Fight the urge! You’re better off staying the course and using this slow time to tweak your selling strategy. Would home staging draw in buyers? Do you need to tackle that paint job you’d been putting off? Should you reassess your asking price?
Generally, the reason a house does not sell is because it’s not priced right, and if it’s been sitting on the market, nothing will change over a 30-day period if you’re pricing it the same. You’re much better off getting the price in line with where it should be, and leaving it on through the holidays.
If you are on the fence about listing your home this season, call me, let me walk you through your options. I’d love to talk to you personally about your real estate needs. Norma – 469-450-2559
by Norma Langston | Nov 10, 2018 | Buying a Home, Featured Post
5 Tips When Buying a Newly Constructed Home
The lack of existing inventory for sale has forced many homebuyers to begin looking at new construction. When you buy a newly constructed home instead of an existing home, there are many extra steps that must take place.
To ensure a hassle-free process, here are 5 tips to keep in mind if you are considering new construction:
1. Hire an Inspector
Despite the fact that builders must comply with town and city regulations, a home inspector will have your best interests in mind! When buying new construction, you will have between 1-3 inspections, depending on your preference (the foundation inspection, the pre-drywall inspection, and a final inspection).
These inspections are important because the inspector will often notice something that the builder missed. If possible, attend the inspection so that you can ask questions about your new home and make sure the builder fixes any problems found by the inspector.
2. Maintain good communication with your builder
Starting with the pre-construction meeting (where you will go over all the details of your home with your project manager), establish a line of communication. For example, will the builder email you every Friday with progress updates? If you are an out-of-state buyer, will you receive weekly pictures of the progress via email? Can you call the builder and if so, how often? How often can you visit the site?
3. Look for builder’s incentives
The good thing about buying a new home is that you can add the countertop you need, the mudroom you want, or an extra porch off the back of your home! However, there is always a price for such additions, and they add up quickly!
Some builders offer incentives that can help reduce the amount you spend on your home. Do your homework and see what sort of incentives the builders in your area are offering.
4. Schedule extra time into the process
There are many things that can impact the progress on your home. One of these things is the weather, especially if you are building in the fall and winter. Rain can delay the pouring of a foundation as well as other necessary steps at the beginning of construction, while snow can freeze pipes and slow your timeline.
Most builders already have a one-to-two-week buffer added into their timelines, but if you are also in the process of selling your current home, you must keep that in mind! Nobody wants to be between homes for a couple of weeks.
5. Visit the site often
As we mentioned earlier, be sure to schedule time with your project manager at least once a week to see the progress on your home. It’s easy for someone who is not there all the time to notice little details that the builder may have forgotten or overlooked. Additionally, don’t forget to take pictures! You might need them later to see exactly where that pipe is or where those electrical connections are once they’re covered up with drywall!
Bottom Line
Watching your home come to life is a wonderful experience that can sometimes come with hassles. To avoid some of these headaches, keep these tips in mind!
If you are ready to put your current home on the market and find out what new construction is available in your area, let’s get together to discuss your options!
