Finally, It's Fall

This morning was a stark contrast with yesterday, when it was 64 degrees at 6 AM.  Today, it was 37 degrees, and I went running with gloves and a jacket, for the first time this fall.  Starting yesterday afternoon, we saw fall blowing in--although we had one little taste of the season in the last week of August, so we shouldn't give up hope of some more warm weather just yet.

Cooler weather, though, makes people come inside.  The imminent end to Daylight Savings Time exacerbates that tendency.  What do they do indoors?  They look at real estate online, among other things, and the longer evenings indoors gives them more time to do it.  Once they look, they may start attending open houses, or scheduling showings.  It's only a few weeks until the shortest day of the year, when we can begin to anticipate spring again.

During October and November, though, buyers who look are more likely to buy, and to close quickly.  Sellers should therefore keep their homes decluttered, rake their leaves, and be reasonable on prices, so that they can be the ones to attract the fall buyers.  While some houses do sell in the dead of winter, these precious weeks of fall offer more chances to sell, and sellers should facilitate that wherever possible.

Let the crisp air invigorate you, and your real estate plans and dreams.  It's the perfect time to act!

Weather and Real Estate

I'm looking out my window at what promises to be the first full day of rain all summer. We need it! And it's hard to object, when there's been so much sun for so long. It's a great day for people to do what they haven't gotten done through the sticky season. Procrastination is very easy in hot, humid weather.

Well, that applies to buyers and sellers of real estate as well. We've known for a long time that there is a bell curve to open houses, for example. If the weather is too nasty, people don't come. If the weather is too good, people don't come. We also know that wintery weather causes almost everyone to cancel showing appointments. The height of summer is usually very slow, with few phone calls, although vacations have a lot to do with that also.

So what's the message here? Just as when you travel, you should expect weather delays when you buy or sell real estate. But on a day like today? Grab it and get business done!