You might think that, in such an evolved society, with so many technological advances, weather wouldn't matter so much. But you would be wrong. Last winter, with storm after storm hitting our region, most people didn't work a full week until sometime in March. Most of us just hunkered down and waited for spring, which didn't even come early after all that snow.
This year, we've seen almost the opposite. We had that one freak snowstorm, which seemed like some kind of Ice Age event, as opposed to the start of winter, and very little since then. The first winter storm came on a Saturday morning, when many people did not have to be on the roads, and it melted quickly.
So, you may ask, how does that relate to real estate? The harsher the winter, the slower the spring market, and vice versa. People want their homes listed before the spring rush, but it's not always clear when that will be. It won't be before the streets and sidewalks are cleared. Even though a bad winter should keep people indoors, getting ready to move, it doesn't seem to work that way. Until they can come out from under blankets--either of snow or the literal kind--they don't get their homes ready to list.
Since this year has so far proven to be mild, we are anticipating that the spring market may come early. I'm writing this too early to know what the groundhog is going to do later this week, but I want to get in an early warning: Get ready before the market takes off without you, whether you are a buyer or a seller. Be ready to go when it pops. And that means, this year, that it's already time to begin.
