What To Expect if You Buy or Sell a Home This June
\ June is a busy month in the housing market because a lot of people buy and sell this time of year. So, if you’ve got a move on your mind and you’re looking to make it happen this month, here’s a snapshot of what you need to know to make sure you’re ready. If You’re Buying This June A lot of homebuyers with children like to move after one school year ends and before the next one begins. That’s one reason why late spring into summer is a popular time for homes to change hands. And whether that’s a motivator for you or not, it’s important to realize more buyers are going to be looking right now – and that means you’ll want to be ready for a bit more competition. But there is a silver lining to a move this time of year. This is also when more sellers will list – so you should find you have more options. As an article from Bankrate says: “Late spring and early summer are the busiest and most competitive time of year for the real estate market. There’s usually more inventory listed for sale than other times of year . . . This is a double-edged sword for a buyer, as you will be met with more opportunities but [also] much more competition.” During this busy season, it’s extra important to work with a trusted real estate agent. Your agent will help you stay on top of the latest listings, share expertise on how to make a strong offer in a competitive market, and give you insight into things like what the home is actually worth so you can make an informed decision when you buy. As Forbes says: “Approaching the market confidently, armed with good information and grounded expectations will take you far. Don't let the hustle of the market convince you to buy something that’s not in your budget, or not right for your lifestyle.” If You’re Selling This June Because there are more buyers this time of year, you’re in a great spot as a seller. Many of those buyers are highly motivated to make their move happen before the next school year kicks off – so they’ll likely put in strong offers to try to make that possible. That means, if your house shows well and is listed at market value, you could see your house sell faster or for a higher price. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR): “Warmer weather and the end of the school year encourage more people to buy and sell, respectively. Buyers are looking to move and settle before the new school year begins, contributing to increased competition and, consequently, higher prices.” You want to be sure you’ve got a great agent on your side to help you with the contingencies on those offers and any negotiations that take place so you can pick the best offer. Make sure you go over closing dates with your agent. Buyers trying to time their move with the school year may need to delay a bit or move faster. This can depend on the school calendar where you live. As U.S. News Real Estate explains: “ . . if your house goes under contract in early summer, the buyer may ask for a delay in closing or move-in until the school year finishes or their current home has sold. Alternatively, a buyer later in summer may be looking to close quickly and move in under a month. Remain flexible to keep the deal running smoothly, and your buyer may be willing to throw in concessions, like covering some of your closing costs or overlooking the old roof.” Bottom Line If you’re looking to make a move this June, let’s chat so you know what to expect. We’ll come up with a plan that factors in current market conditions, but still works for you.
How an Agent Helps Market Your House
You’re ready to sell your house. But what do you need most from your real estate agent? Well, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) asked that very question to recent sellers and found one of the top things they were looking for is help marketing their house to potential buyers. Maybe that’s what you need the most help with too. You expect your real estate agent to write a great description of your house for the listing and pair it with some high-quality photos. But that’s not all you’re going to get when you partner with a great agent. They’ll do a lot more to make sure your house stands out. Here are some of the most common methods real estate agents use to market homes according to that same report from NAR (see graph below): So, how can you benefit from your agent using these methods? Listing on the MLS – By listing your house on the MLS, it will get more visibility from other real estate agents and buyers. This could lead to more traffic, which could ultimately help you see an increase in offers and ultimately a better price. Using a Yard Sign – A yard sign catches the eye of people driving or walking by. This method drums up local interest since people who live nearby might have friends or family looking to move into the area. It also prominently displays your agent’s contact information, so interested buyers can get in touch easily. Having an Open House– When your agent advertises and hosts your open house, buyers see others are interested in your house, too. This competition can lead to stronger offers. An open house is also easier for you since you only need to leave once for many buyers to visit. Plus, your agent may get useful feedback on what people like or don’t like, which can help you make improvements to attract more buyers later, if needed. Showcasing on Your Agent’s Website – Having your house visible on your agent’s website allows for a professional presentation of your property. Additionally, people visiting your agent’s website are more likely to be serious buyers who are ready to make a move. Social Networking – Your real estate agent works hard to have a wide-ranging social media presence. Marketing your house this way allows them to reach a large audience. It also makes it easy for people to share your listing with friends and loved ones who might be interested. Providing Virtual Tours – Virtual tours are extremely convenient for buyers, especially those who are relocating from out of town. This method allows them to tour anytime, day or night. It shows your agent is using the latest technology to market your house. There are many tools that can be used to market your house. As NerdWallet sums up: “A good real estate agent will have a robust plan to promote your listing in an effort to find the right pool of buyers. Adding your home to databases of available homes called multiple listing services (MLS), open houses, 3D virtual tours, professional photography and broker tours for buyers’ agents (particularly for luxury homes) are all factors that may go into a marketing plan.” As a seller, it’s smart to work with a creative local real estate agent who can maximize them to make sure you get as many eyes on your house as possible. Bottom Line When it comes to marketing your house, working with a local real estate agent has tons of benefits. If you’re ready to sell, but don’t know where to start, let’s chat. Call Rajeev Vashist at (703)927-0606. Selling a Home Buying a Home
Questions You May Have About Selling Your House
There’s no denying mortgage rates are having a big impact on today’s housing market. And that may leave you with some questions about whether it still makes sense to sell your house and make a move. Here are three of the top questions you may be asking – and the data that helps answer them. 1. Should I Wait To Sell? If you’re thinking about waiting to sell until after mortgage rates come down, here’s what you need to know. So are a ton of other people. And while mortgage rates are still forecasted to come down later this year, if you wait for that to happen, you may be dealing with a lot more competition as other buyers and sellers jump back in too. As Bright MLS says: “Even a modest drop in rates will bring both more buyers and more sellers into the market.” That means if you wait it out, you’ll have to deal with things like prices rising faster and more multiple-offer scenarios when you buy your next home. 2. Are Buyers Still Out There? But that doesn’t mean no one is moving right now. While some people are holding off, there are still plenty of buyers active today. And here’s the data to prove it. The ShowingTime Showing Index is a measure of how frequently buyers are touring homes. The graph below uses that index to show buyer activity for March (the latest data available) over the past seven years: You can see demand has dipped some since the ‘unicorn’ years (shown in pink). That’s in response to a lot of market factors, like higher mortgage rates, rising prices, and limited inventory. But, to really understand today’s demand, you have to compare where we are now with the last normal years in the market (2018-2019) – not the abnormal ‘unicorn’ years. When you focus on just the blue bars, you can get an idea of how 2024 stacks up. And that gives you a whole new perspective. Nationally, demand is still high compared to the last normal years in the housing market (2018-2019). And that means there’s still a market for your house to sell. 3. Can I Afford To Buy My Next Home? And if you’re worried about how you’ll afford your next move with today’s rates and prices, consider this: you probably have more equity in your current home than you realize. Homeowners have gained record amounts of equity over the past few years. And that equity can make a big difference when you buy your next home. You may even have enough to be an all-cash buyer and avoid taking out a mortgage altogether. As Jessica Lautz, Deputy Chief Economist at the National Association of Realtors (NAR), says: “ . . . those who have earned housing equity through home price appreciation are the current winners in today's housing market. One-third of recent home buyers did not finance their home purchase last month—the highest share in a decade. For these buyers, interest rates may be less influential in their purchase decisions.” Bottom Line If you’ve had these three questions on your mind and they’ve been holding you back from selling, hopefully, it helps to have this information now. A recent survey from Realtor.com shows more than 85% of potential sellers have been considering selling for over a year. That means there are a number of sellers like you who are on the fence. But that same survey also talked to sellers who recently decided to take the plunge and list. And 79% of those recent sellers wish they’d sold sooner. If you want to talk more about any of these questions or need more information, let’s connect. Call me at (703)927-0606. Thinking of selling
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