October 17th 2019

Your home can be a hot property, even when it's cold out.

The fall real estate market is almost always a hot season. Home selling in autumn is the second-best time of the year to sell a home. Families have returned from summer vacations. Kids have gone back to school. People are happy and relaxed as the temperature begins to drop. The holidays aren't yet upon us, making this a great time to sell a home.

Selling in the fall and early winter has it’s advantages:

1. Demand Is Strong. The buyers who are looking this time of year are serious and motivated. They are not at the shore on vacation casually looking for their dream home on rainy days. Educated buyers know inventory is dwindling and are seeing homes go under quickly.

2. Interest Rates are Historically low. Buyers are hoping to capitalize on low interest rates which ultimately gives them more buying power. Waiting six months to a year may mean higher mortgage payments in the long run.

3. There Is Less Competition Now. There is less competition from other sellers who may be waiting until after the holidays to list their home for sale. There is also a pent-up desire for many homeowners to move as they were unable to sell over the last few years due to a negative equity situation. As home values continue to appreciate, more and more homeowners will be given the freedom to move.

4. The Process Will Be Quicker. Today’s competitive environment has forced buyers to do all they can to stand out from the crowd, including getting pre-approved for their mortgage financing. This makes the entire selling process much faster and simpler, as buyers know exactly what they can afford before shopping for a home. On average, the time needed to close a loan is 43 days.

5. There Will Never Be a Better Time to Move Up. If your next move will be into a premium or luxury home, now is the time to move up. There is currently ample inventory for sale at higher price ranges. This means if you’re planning on selling a starter or trade-up home and moving into your dream home, you’ll be able to do that in the luxury or premium market.

According to CoreLogic, prices are projected to appreciate by 5.2% over the next year. If you are moving to a higher-priced home, it will wind up costing you more in raw dollars (both in down payment and mortgage) if you wait.

6. It’s Time to Move on with Your Life. Look at the reason you decided to sell in the first place and determine whether it is worth waiting. Is money more important than being with family? Is money more important than having the freedom to go on with your life the way you think you should?

When you are ready to sell your home, call the DiPeso Group. With over 500 homes sold over the past 20 years, we have the experience, technology and marketing to reach thousands of buyers and get your home sold quickly and for highest price possible.