Winter Is Coming. Time To Sell Now.

Now that Fall is approaching some people are beginning to reflect on the coming year and what changes they want to make in their lives. Perhaps a move to a better climate or to seek a better job opportunity is being considered. Homeowners considering a change might need to decide whether to sell their home now or wait.

We think there are several reasons to sell now rather than in the dead of winter. 

• Buyer demand is very strong right now. Traffic to open houses is very strong, lending standards have been relaxed qualifying more buyers, summer vacations are over and there are no holiday distractions. 

• There is under a six month supply of housing available which means there is less competitive listings on the market. More and more potential sellers are returning to positive equity every day and those homes will be coming to market and new construction is growing, so waiting until more inventory comes to market is not a good strategy.

• With increased sales volume has come delays in the closing process. The winter holidays magnify this problem. Better to sell now so the process will be quicker.

• It is a great time to move up to a larger more expensive home. Mortgage interest rates are at historical lows but are expected to rise in the next few months. Prices are expected to appreciate by almost 20% over the next five years. Buyers can lock in their housing costs and avoid increased rates and higher down payments later. 

• Maybe selling now will allow you to move on with your life and concentrate on what is really important to you. The emotional dividends to taking control by selling a home can be real.

Selling now before the winter holidays makes sense whether you are moving up or moving on.