6 Reasons You Should Consider Selling Now


There are six important reasons why the fall and winter months present a great opportunity to sell your home quickly and for top dollar.

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Should you sell your home now or wait until the spring market?

It’s an exciting time to sell in the spring—you have the spring market rush with so many buyers coming out of the woodwork who have been in hibernation all winter. Fall and winter are also great times to sell, though, and here are six reasons why. 

If you’re truly motivated to sell your home, you need to make sure it’s on the market throughout the fall and winter months

1. You’ll face less competition. The real estate market is all about supply and demand. If you drive around a neighborhood during the spring, you’ll see all kinds of “For Sale” signs. If you drive around a neighborhood during fall and winter, you won’t see as many of those signs because most of the other sellers have taken their homes off the market. Having less competition will create more demand for your property. 

2. There are serious buyers out there. A lot of homeowners out there still believe that nobody buys homes in the fall and wintertime, and that’s just not true. Serious buyers are out there 365 days a year, and you want your home to be on the market so they’ll get a chance to look at it. 

3. The best agents are always up for a challenge. If your agent is telling you to take your home off the market and wait until spring so you can enjoy the holidays, you’ve got the wrong agent. If you’re truly motivated to sell your home, you need to make sure it’s on the market throughout the fall and winter months. If you want to enjoy Christmas or New Year’s, you can simply elect not to show your home those days, but don’t take it off the market completely. 

4. You can stage for the holiday season. A lot of buyers out there buy with emotion, and they like to see the different colors, aromas, and decorations the holiday season brings. If you stage your home for the holidays, it can create an emotional connection to buyers because it gives them the opportunity to see themselves in the home next holiday season. 

5. Mortgage rates are low right now. What happens if they rise 0.5% after the first of the year, though? That could mean the difference between getting top dollar for your home right now or watching it sit on the market for much longer. When mortgage rates rise, buyers’ buying power diminishes. 

6. Odds are you’ll have a quicker transaction. Though a lot of sales happen in the spring, those transactions normally take between six and eight weeks to complete. Fall and winter transactions close quicker than that because there are fewer other closings happening and fewer inspections that need to be done. 

If you have any questions about this topic or you’re thinking of buying or selling a home in the Capital District, don’t hesitate to call me or message me on my website. I’d love to help you. 

First Quarter Market Update for the Capital District



The numbers for the first quarter in our real estate market are in! I’ll go over those with you today. 

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What’s going on with our housing market?

The first four months have been very good, despite the rumors floating around about the government changes, interest rates going up, and low inventory. Despite a 23.5% decrease in the number of homes for sale this year compared to last year, we’re still doing well. 

Pending sales are up and the average sales price is up 3.2% at $217,302. It’s all about supply and demand. The fewer homes are on the market, the more demand there is, which increases prices for sellers. However, homes still need to be priced right to sell quickly. 

The average days on market was 96 last year, which is down to 84 days this year. So, not only are homes selling for more money, they’re also selling more quickly. 

Due to the shortage of inventory, we are seeing a lot of multiple offer situations. Buyers are getting discouraged as they go up against all-cash offers or offers with a large deposit. Luckily, we anticipate more inventory coming onto the market as we enter the second quarter, so buyers should have more to choose from and have a better chance at getting their offer accepted. 

Anticipated inventory growth in the next few months will give buyers a better shot at finding their dream home.

If you have any questions about the market or are looking to buy or sell a home, please feel free to give me a call or send me an email. I look forward to hearing from you! 

A Great New Home Selling Resource



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I'm excited today because I just received the first shipment of my book, "What Every Person Needs to Know About Selling a Home in the Capital District." 

My team and I have sold over 7,000 homes here in the Capital District for well over a billion dollars in real estate sales. In my new seller book, I will share with you my experience and knowledge to help you sell your home fast and for top dollar. Unfortunately, I talk to many homeowners who really have no clue about what it takes to sell their house for top dollar. 

There's a book for both buyers and sellers. In the seller version, for example, you'll get tips on how to sell your house for top dollar, staging, the questions you should ask a real estate agent, preparing for home inspections, and setting a price for your home. Pricing your home is one of the most important aspects of your sale. 

If you're thinking of selling in the next two years, get your hands on a free copy soon.

If you're even thinking about selling your house here in the Capital District in the next one to two years, you definitely want to get a hold of your free copy of this book. 

If you'd like to receive your free copy, visit 518sellerbook.com or call me directly.

I look forward to hearing your feedback!

What to Expect From the Capital District Real Estate Market in 2017



There is a lot to smile about in the Capital District real estate market. Here are just a few of the trends we are seeing right now.

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No matter where I go, people ask me about the market here in the Capital District. There has been a lot of uncertainty lately with a soaring stock market and a new presidential administration, so it’s only natural that people want to know what’s going on. 

Here’s what I’ve been seeing lately.

Home prices here in the Capital District are up by about 5% from last year. The main reason for that is our shortage of inventory. We only have about a five-month supply right now. That’s 20% less inventory than we had at this time in 2016. That’s great news for home sellers because the low supply is driving demand and prices up.



Low supply is driving higher demand and prices.



As we see more inventory come on the market in the spring and summer, we will see sales prices decrease. Pending sales are up, which is good, but we are starting to see sales decline from last year. Consistent wages and stable unemployment have contributed to this, too.

With all that in place, it looks like the first quarter stats from 2017 point to a strong market throughout the year. If you have any questions for me or you’re looking to buy a home in the Capital District, give me a call or send me an email. I would love to hear from you.

The Benefits of Selling a House in the Winter



Should you sell your home now or wait for the spring market if you're preparing to move? Today I'll explain why you should list now.

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I recently received a great question from a viewer that I wanted to answer for everyone. She asked, "Should I list my home now during the winter months or should I wait until the spring?"

There are three reasons why I feel you should list now rather than waiting for the spring market:

  1. Less competition. There are only about three months of inventory here in the Capital District, and this will make your home stand out more with the buyers out there. In the spring, you will compete against many more sellers.
  2. Buyers are really motivated right now. The buyers who are out looking for homes in the cold and snow are not just kicking tires; they are highly motivated to buy a home for reasons like a job transfer or tax reasons. Additionally, interest rates just went up, so buyers want to get a deal done before they go up again.
  3. Your home looks great if it's tastefully decorated this time of year. Buyers make emotional decisions when buying a home and you want them to feel comfortable in your home. Buyers want to be able to picture themselves in your warm, cozy home next year when they're celebrating the holidays with their family.


The decrease in competition makes your home stand out in the winter.

Thanks to Eileen for submitting this question. It's a great topic for this season. You win a $25 gift card for having your question selected!

If you're ready to get into the market this winter, give me a call or send me an email. I'd be happy to help you.