http://seacoastrealty.com/blog/categoryname_sellers/sort_entrydatetime-desc/ Far too often home sellers are reluctant to list their homes for sell in the winter months out of fear that the home will sit on the market until the spring “selling season.” Let me ease a bit of that fear, and tell you some of the many benefits of selling in the winter.Winter Buyers are MotivatedBuyers who are willing to disrupt their holiday vacations are pretty serious about buying. In many cases these buyers are in a position that they have to move be it a job transfer, a new baby, or family obligations. Because they are so motivated, they are usually prepared. A prepared buyer usually results in a quicker transaction! These buyers also know what they want, and if they request a showing of your home, there is a good chance that an offer will follow. Trying to close before January is also a huge motivating factor, as both buyers and sellers can sometimes benefit from the tax credits and deductions that come with a real estate transaction.Many Large Companies Transfer Employees at the Beginning of the YearIn growing cities and towns (and our area is one of those!) when a company relocates or opens a location, they often transfer employees for the start of the new year. I am no business finance expert, but my guess is that in doing so theses companies are able to better organize their financial and tax ventures. This puts the Buyer in a situation to buy quickly, as oftentimes corporations will fund the move and have set timelines for when the move occurs.Less Competition and Less InventorySellers whose homes are on the market in the winter months have the great advantage of less competition. Since spring is the “hottest market” and most sellers list at that time, winter sellers enter a market with fewer homes. Buyers have less to look at and are able to choose more easily without being pulled in a million different directions. The Holidays Give Your Home Extra SparkleSelling during the holidays may be stressful, but think about how pretty your home looks dressed in all of its holiday finery. Winter is the perfect time to highlight the cozy features of your home. Holidays naturally elicit feelings of nostalgia and memories of home. The winter time allows sellers to capitalize on that. Not only does your home look shiny, but chances are your neighbors’ houses looked a bit better too.Southeastern Weather!Sellers in our area have an extra ace in the pocket, our mild winter weather. In places like Boston or New York home selling in the winter months can be a bit tricky due to large amounts of winter precipitation. Not here! Many of the buyers in our area are transplants tired of the cold. In Florida these buyers are “winter birds;” in NC they are “Half Backs”. That is “They move to Florida and realize it is a little too warm, so they come half-way back.” Many of the buyers that our sellers encounter have come to the coast for a vacation from the cold, and enjoyed our temperatures (Hello, it was 70 degrees in December!) so much that they decided to stay.In closing, you shouldn’t be scared to sell in the winter. In fact, you might just have some big advantages! If you are thinking about selling, give one of our many agents a call. They can talk you through all of the advantages and help get your home SOLD! You can find tons of Seller Resources on our website here http://www.seacoastrealty.com/pages/getting-your-house-ready-to-sell http://seacoastrealty.com/blog/1783/5-advantages-to-selling-your-home-in-the-winter-months/ Mon, 07 Dec 2015 12:00:00 -0500 You worked hard tidying up the yard, de-cluttering your home’s interior, and giving it a fresh coat of paint. You even made those repairs you’d been putting off for a year. Then, you and your Realtor® settled on a competitive listing price for your home and he or she prepared some great marketing materials. Now, it’s been a month, showings have been few, and no offers have been made on the property. What’s the problem?The problem may be flexibility. When a home goes on the market, it needs to be seen to be sold. However, some sellers consistently put strict limits on when their home can be shown. Here are some examples:Never before noon.48 hour notice required.Not between 8:00-9:00 a.m., 11:00-1:00 p.m., and 4:00-6:00 p.m. (all in one day).Never on the weekends.While there can be some very good reasons for limiting showing options (the property is a vacation rental or the owner works nights), there can be some silly ones as well, like it’s the hour when Dr. Oz is on television.If you’re limiting your time frame for scheduling, you need to be aware that you could be limiting the type of buyers who are able to see your home. For example, buyers often come into town on the weekends. If you don’t allow weekend showings, they won’t see your home. Even if those great marketing materials caught their eye and they’re sure your home would be perfect, they’ll likely choose to make an offer on the similar home around the corner that they were able to see.You also don’t want to get caught up in the perfection trap. 48 hour notice may give you the time you need to clean the whole house, but maintaining the state of the home while it’s on the market and reducing the hours for notice will pay off quicker than trying to make the home look perfect. If you’ve done the right prep work, buyers will be able to look past a few dusty shelves. So, give yourself just enough time to pick up the toys scattered on the floor or to clean the dirty dishes in the sink, and let the home be shown.Sometimes, limiting showings is the sacrifice you need to make when life circumstances make it difficult, but it's in your best interest to do what you can to get your home sold. If you have limits in place, but feel there may be some ways to make the showing schedule more flexible or are looking for ideas, speak to your Sea Coast agent. Our showing center has temporary showing options for days when your normal schedule may change and numerous ways to confirm appointments. Additionally, your agent can help facilitate showings under special circumstances, like when buyers are in town for only one day. They're here to help you sell your home, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.If you don’t have an agent and have questions about putting your home on the market, feel free to Contact Us. We’ll connect you with an experienced agent who will be able to answer all your questions. Meghan Riley http://seacoastrealty.com/blog/1354/when-selling-your-home-it-pays-to-be-flexible!/ Mon, 20 Jan 2014 12:00:00 -0500