6 Reasons Why Selling a House in the Winter May Be the Best Decision Ever

Spring is generally the most popular time of year to sell a house, with hordes of buyers looking to move into a new place before the school year begins. But if you decide to sell your home during the winter, experts say you could reap a reward in cold, hard cash.

“I have personally had my best months in real estate during the holiday season, so the idea that the markets are very tough to sell in the winter might be a myth,” says Emil Hartoonian, managing partner of The Agency in Beverly Hills, CA.

He’s not the only one who believes selling in the winter can make you a real estate winner. Read on for the top reasons why you should consider unloading when the temperatures drop.

1. Low inventory = less competition

Since spring is the most popular home-selling season, the housing market is ultracrowded with options at that time of year. And if you paid attention during Econ 101, you understand the law of supply and demand.

“Most sellers still think they need to sell in the spring, but that means there is more competition for buyers’ attention,” says Matt Van Winkle, founder of Re/Max Northwest in Seattle.

But in the winter, there are fewer homes for sale. That competition over low inventory can make winter an ideal time to sell your home.

“In the Atlanta market, January is one of the strongest months for homes to go under contract,” says Ally May of Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s.

2. You get to show your home’s winter-readiness

Selling in the winter also gives you the opportunity to show that a home is designed to handle the harsh elements.

“Sellers in places like Lake Tahoe can show off features like a south-facing driveway to speed up snow melting, how snow will fall off of a roof, a short driveway that will minimize shoveling or plowing, heat tape on the north side of the roof to avoid snow accumulation, and how recently the roof and furnace have been replaced,” says Sandy Soli, regional manager at Engel & Volkers in Lake Tahoe, NV.

Plus, during winter months, homes with features like fireplaces and hot tubs are certainly more appealing.

3. New parents may be looking to upgrade

The baby boom in September may lead to more buyers later in the year. According to data from the Center for Health Statistics and the Social Security Administration, there are more birthdays in the month of September than any other time of the year. Therefore, there’s likely to be a crop of growing families looking to buy a larger house.

“Once baby is home and settled, these parents may want to start the year in a new, and more spacious, family home,” according to Melissa Temple, real estate adviser and partner at Engel & Volkers in Aspen, CO.

4. Winter brings out the serious buyers

News flash: Not everyone looking at houses intends to make a purchase. Some people are contemplating moving and may just want to see what’s on the market. Since more homes tend to go on the market in spring and fall, this is also when window shoppers are likely to be out looking.

However, these looky-loos tend to be scarce during winter months, according to Jennifer Baldinger, licensed associate real estate broker at Julia B. Fee Sotheby’s international Realty in Scarsdale, NY.

“When I have buyers looking for homes in January and February, they’re real buyers looking to make a purchase–especially if it’s a great house. They don’t want to take the chance of waiting until spring and losing out on the home,” Baldinger says.

“There may be less people at these open houses, but I would rather have 10 real buyers come through than 20 people who are just curious,” she says.

5. Year-end financial bonuses and payouts

As a seller, year-end performance reviews could mean that more people have money to spend on a home.

“End-of-year financial bonuses or workers retiring with large payouts could mean opportunities for these buyers to upgrade their living situations or for first-time buyers to enter the housing market,” according to Temple.

6. Corporate relocation

You could also encounter buyers who are relocating for a job.

“One of the biggest months for corporate relocation is January/February, so those buyers, who need to move quickly, are out in full force looking for new homes,” Baldinger says.

Relocators typically have a limited amount of time to uproot their families and, as a result, don’t have the luxury of spending a lot of time looking at properties. The kids need to get settled into school, and dealing with selling their old home can add another level of urgency and stress. So it’s likely that once they find a home that meets their requirements, these buyers will be ready to sign on the dotted line.

Source: Terri Williams | www.realtor.com

If you’re looking to buy or sell a home this holiday season, give us a call at 970-221-5995!

7 Mistakes People Make Handling a Deceased Family Members’ Estate

Dealing with a family member’s death can be a double cruelty. There is the emotional loss. Then, that’s often followed by the monumental task of dealing with the deceased individual’s estate–any property or possessions left behind.

Given this is a hard time, it’s understandable that many people in this situation make mistakes. In an effort to get you through this process with minimal pain and suffering, here are the pitfalls to watch out for–and smarter ways to handle them.

1. Going through possessions piece by piece

People tend to start by sorting through each and every item they encounter as they go through the house, says Jacqui Denny, co-founder and chief development officer of estate sale marketplace, Everything but the House. But this approach easily becomes a huge drain on time. “That’s how you end up spending four hours looking through paperwork in one drawer,” Denny points out.

What to do instead: If you want to avoid burnout, she recommends a simple sorting method. Mark four boxes with personal correspondence, photographs, medical papers, and legal documents. Go through the house looking for just those items and place them in their respective bins. Now you’ve removed an entire layer of items from the house, possibly the most important things. You can sort through each box later and decide what to keep or let go.

2. Undervaluing items you aren’t familiar with

Some people will carefully collect the silverware and then drag the fishing equipment to the curb. But some flies are worth tens of thousands of dollars. Who knew? Don’t assume that stuff is worthless because some hobby or style of art just isn’t your thing.

What to do instead: Talk with an appraiser before going through the estate to make sure you aren’t overlooking something rare or valuable.

3. Overvaluing items you like

Denny says she sees this happen a lot: When we like something, we tend to value it more than the market does. For example, a costume jewelry fanatic may think an entire collection is uniformly valuable. But that’s not always so.

“A vintage Miriam Haskell rhinestone brooch can bring hundreds of dollars,” she says. “But the typical, unsigned rhinestone brooch of the same vintage will sell for $35 to $50.”

What to do instead: Manage your expectations! And again, work with an appraiser to find the true value of items.

4. Overlooking the attic and basement

Maybe your parents came from more humble origins and you doubt they’ve collected anything worth a lot of money. You’d be surprised, Denny says. She recalls a client who assumed his mother didn’t have anything worth selling. But it turns out she left behind a 17th-century Korean bodhisattva statue in the attic, which later sold for $47,000.

What to do instead: Don’t neglect the attic and basement. Denny says they’re where the most valuable items are usually found.

5. Letting your vintage loving friends sort and assess the estate for free

Hey, you have friends who love vintage items and are volunteering to sort through your parents’ estate. That’s better than hiring someone, right? Unless they’re experts, perhaps not.

“What if they donate something you end up seeing on ‘Antiques Roadshow?” Denny asks.

What to do instead: Thank your friends and let them help you with other tasks. Most estate sale companies will do a free consultation, so you might as well tap their expertise just in case. It pays to have someone knowledgeable about the vetting process.

6. Selling to dealers rather than collectors

Most people consider selling first to dealers, but remember this: A jeweler will pay less for your jewelry than an ordinary consumer who just loves it. A jeweler wants to make a profit; a consumer just wants that lovely piece you have.

What to do instead: If you can, sell to collectors rather than dealers.

“End buyers don’t need to make a profit.” Denny says, “so they are willing to pay more.” The same goes with coins, stamps, and other collectibles.

7. Not dealing with debts

We’ve gone over the profitable elements of an estate. But remember, an estate includes debts as well.

According to the Federal Trade Commission, in the U.S., family members of the deceased are not responsible for paying the deceased debts. (That’s in most cases.) Debts should be paid from the deceased’s estate. If there’s not enough in the estate to cover the debt, the remainder goes unpaid. However, there are some conditions when family members may be responsible: if they co-signed an obligation, are a spouse of the deceased, or are legally responsible for handling the estate and haven’t complied with laws.

What to do instead: Be proactive in following up on any debts the deceased left behind. Make sure obligations are met according to the law. You may need to hire a lawyer. You can also contact your state attorney general’s office if you need help.

Source: Adriana Velez | realtor.com

When to Reduce Your Listing Price

A seller’s market with low inventory can prompt buyers to raise their offer price to beat out competitors. Unfortunately, even in a seller’s market an overpriced listing will linger. Buyers pay attention to time on market and may assume something is wrong with a property that has not received an acceptable offer, and gone “stale.” It’s critical to determine what time frame is considered stale in the current market.

Since the summer of 2017, there has been a market shift in northern Colorado. While the shift does not suggest a full blown buyer’s market, signs of more balance between sellers and buyers is apparent.

Price reductions have increased compared to the first two quarters of 2017. It’s not unusual to now see a $5,000 to $10,000 reduction in the early weeks of the listing if an acceptable offer has not been generated.

Soaring home prices may make buyers pause, but houses are still selling fast. Nationwide, the average time a home spent on the market was 34 days in September. This is down from 39 days a year prior, according to the National Association of REALTORS®.

Some sellers may be adamant about “testing the market” with a higher than substantiated asking price. This strategy found success in the seller’s market of recent years. Currently however, limited showing activity and lack of an offer within the first 2-4 weeks of listing strongly suggest that the list price has missed the mark.

Sellers receiving market feedback that the property condition or features don’t support the list price can reposition swiftly and increase the likelihood of a quicker sale. Savvy buyers are watching the market for price reductions, especially for homes that appeal to them and they have already visited.

Source: “How to Know When to Drop the Asking Price on Your Home,” CNBC (Oct. 27, 2017)

Give our office a call or visit our website to discuss pricing opportunities for your home!

Pricing Myths About Selling Your Home

Myths

Pricing your home for sale can be challenging and many home sellers fall prey to myths about home pricing. Let’s take a look.

1. You always make money when you sell a home.

Appreciation is one reason you invest in real estate. However, the market value of your home depends on many factors, including condition, location, and competition. A competitive market analysis will help you determine market value and estimated net proceeds.

2. Price high to make big bucks.

An overpriced home is simply not likely to sell. As the northern Colorado market slows down, buyer competition has diminished in some price ranges. Additionally, a Buyer’s loan is contingent on an appraisal report using comparable sales that are unlikely to support a price higher than market value.

3. If your home’s overpriced, it’s no big deal to reduce it.

Homes that linger on the market for months can lead buyers to think that something may be wrong with the home. An acceptable offer is more likely to occur in the days immediately following the listing if the price reflects the market value.

4. Price too low and lose money.

Sellers are often leery of pricing their home on the low end. But low-priced homes can drum up tons of interest and a possible bidding war that could drive the final price above your expectations.

5. You can recover any renovation costs.

On average, you can expect to get back 64% of every dollar you spend on home improvements, and that profit can vary greatly based on which renovation you do.

6. A past appraisal is a good indicator of current value.

An appraisal assigns your home a value based on market conditions at a specific date, which becomes outdated very quickly. Lenders require an appraisal value based on current sales data.

7. The agent might overprice the house to make a bigger commission.

The agent does not want your home to linger on the market any more than you do! As the seller, you will set the listing price for the home, and negotiation with the buyers will determine the final sale price!

Call our office with questions about pricing your home!

The Best Seasons to Buy and Sell

The seasonality of a market varies from location to location. In Phoenix, the winter months are popular due to an influx of people relocating from other regions or buying a second home. Alternatively, in Denver, the cold weather climate creates a market slow down. So when is the best time to buy or sell a home?

The Best Time for Families

Studies show that the busiest moving times of the year occur during the summer. Buyers and sellers with children typically do not want to uproot their family in the middle of the school year. Instead, the summer months offer more free time for moving.

With this in mind, many home sellers target June to list their homes. However, by this time, the market is often beginning to slow as vacations and other summer activities take priority. Families intending to move during the summer have often closed by May or June!

The Best Time in Larimer County

In Larimer County, the peak closing month from 2014 through 2017 has been June. Weld County closings peak between May and July during those years.

Homes that are closing in June are going under contract about 30-60 days earlier, from early April through late May.

Listing activity in Larimer County ramps up as early as March with strong numbers continuing into June. The strongest months for listing activity in Weld County since 2014 have been April through July.

As the holidays approach towards year end, fewer people are moving and the number of closings between November and January decrease. People often do not want to add the logistics of moving to an already hectic holiday season.

The colder months when demand and activity is lower may benefit you! By not buying when everyone else is buying, you might have less competition, and a seller with a home listed for sale during the holidays is typically motivated!

However, ultimately you are best served when you buy or sell at the time of year that fits your needs.