It's the start of a new school year, and some of you are wondering if you missed the "Summer rush" to sell your home.
A lot of people are asking if it is now a “bad time” to put their home up for sell. In today’s market, there’s no such thing as a “bad time,” but the start of a new school year does have an affect on real estate activity. So let’s address the questions that have come up recently.
For homeowners who have their house up for sale:
We can expect the market to traditionally slow down the week before school starts and the first week of school. Most folks are taking last minute vacations or they are focused on getting school supplies. Then, obviously, the first week back to school people are just trying to get back into some type of routine after the summer months. In our experience, the market for our area slows down during this time. If you notice this week that you aren’t getting any showings, there is no need to panic. This is totally to be expected and in the next coming weeks it will pick back up.
For those of considering selling your home:
Despite the decreased activity in August and September, the market is hotter than ever, and there is no such thing as a “bad time” to sell. That being said, there is an absolute best time to list your home for sell in the Augusta real market. This would be during the month of March, April, or May. Historically, families only moved in the Summertime because of the school year calendar, but the lifestyle of today’s buyers have changed. Job transfers and military relocation have changed the way that people move. There’s no longer a pattern or typical time of year. People also move more frequently within their current city. For example, if you’re thinking about selling but it’s important to stay in the same school district, most people are not going to put off a moving until the end of the school year.
Outside of the Spring, we typically see October, November, and December as big months. Buyers and sellers want to be moved into their new home before the holidays. Just as the Summer market activity, we see this rush in Fall activity and then things begin to slow down in January. Most people want to re-group post holidays and list the house at the beginning of February. So again, there is no “bad time” but real estate is cyclical. We will see it dip a bit around the start of a new school year, and pick up right before the holidays.
The market is stronger than ever, and inventory is at an all time low. If a home is priced right for it’s condition we are seeing properties moved within 30 – 45 days, whether children are going back to school or not. If you’re considering selling your home, please get in touch with us so we can help you get it priced right!
