Autumn Home Selling

autumn home selling
Autumn home selling

What was once considered a winding down period for the year’s home sales, has become housing’s second wind.  Autumn is not only a time when the leaves start falling, but it also has become a target selling season for home sellers who miss the spring market.  Autumn home selling is also a second chance for those who could not sell their home earlier in the year.  In fact, the fall has become an active home selling season.

The general consensus for the autumn home selling phenomenon is that home sale inventory is low.  But the truth is that the fall tends to be when home sale inventory begins to decrease anyway.  Many home sellers who didn’t sell their home during the spring or summer will be pulling their homes off the market.  Sure, new listings are available during the fall, but not as many as there were in the spring.  Fall is a time for home buyers and sellers to strike while the iron is hot.  The combination of fewer listings along with serious home buyers and sellers makes the fall housing market a brisk selling time. 

This year, autumn home selling may be different.  Existing home sales have declined year-to-date (compared to last year).  The National Association of Realtors reported that as of June, existing home sales are about 2.2 percent behind last year’s sales.  Year-to-date Montgomery County home sales are 2.1 percent below last year’s sales.  This decline actually started last fall.  The home sale drop-off stifled what could have been a record year for 2018 home sales.

Autumn home selling

If you’re selling a home this fall keep an eye on neighborhood home sales.  Setting a reasonable list price will be key to getting your home sold.  Keep in mind that although home sale prices continue to climb, monthly appreciation is slowing.  The S&P CoreLogic Case-Shiller Home Price Index (spindices.com) reported a year-to-date nationwide 2.29 percent increase.  You get a sense of the magnitude of decelerating appreciation when compared to 2018’s increase of 4.55 percent, and 2017’s increase of 6.24 percent nationwide.  The year-to-date Montgomery County average home sale price is about $554,932, which is only an increase of 1.2 percent from the same time last year (MarketStats by ShowingTime). 

Over pricing your home can be a disastrous mistake during the fall market.  Don’t be greedy, and be prepared to adjust your pricing strategy.  There are many storms brewing that can easily scare home buyers.  If the list price is too high, you may end up with low ball offers because of a protracted time in the MLS. 

Although having less competition makes it a good time to sell your home, it can also be challenging.  Fall weather can be significantly different day to day.  Be prepared to adjust the thermostat.  Make sure your HVAC system gets a fall service so it will be ready for colder temps.   

Don’t forget to keep up with your home’s curb appeal.  Although you may want to get lazy about maintaining your lawn, don’t let it grow too high.  Also, remove excessive leaves from the ground too, as this can also diminish your home’s curb appeal.

Make accommodations for home buyers to visit your home.  Many home buyers will probably schedule tours after work, when it will be getting dark.  Open houses are still a good option for a fall home sale.  Turnout may be scant, but fall open house visitors are more likely to buy.

Original article is located at https://dankrell.com/blog/2019/09/15/autumn-home-selling/

By Dan Krell
Copyright© 2019

If you like this post, do not copy; instead please:
link to the article,
like it on facebook
or re-tweet.

Protected by Copyscape Web Plagiarism Detector


Disclaimer. This article is not intended to provide nor should it be relied upon for legal and financial advice. Readers should not rely solely on the information contained herein, as it does not purport to be comprehensive or render specific advice. Readers should consult with an attorney regarding local real estate laws and customs as they vary by state and jurisdiction. Using this article without permission is a violation of copyright laws.

One Reply to “Autumn Home Selling”

Comments are closed.