What does the season we’re in mean for your real estate needs?

There are many things that impact housing market trends, such as:

1.  Politics (laws, trends, etc.)
2. Global and domestic economies
3. Business’s entering and leaving markets
4. Schools
5. Climate
6. Natural Disasters
7. etc.

But did you know that something as simple as the season can also have an effect on buying/selling a house?  Here’s a little bit of insight as to how each season may impact your need to sell your Charlotte NC home.

The Impact Of Real Estate Seasonality On Buying & Selling Trends

Summer Real Estate Market

With the summer real estate market just around the corner, it’s obvious why the hottest season of the year will start things off, just look at the real estate marketing trends. Besides its imminent approach, however, summer represents a special time of the year for the real estate market. Piggybacking off of the heels of spring, summer usually represents the pinnacle of real estate seasonality and the housing market. If for nothing else, it’s the time of year when most people are actively participating in the housing market. Buyers typically aren’t bound by school commitments, nor is cold weather restricting them from looking at properties. All things considered, summer has the fewest reasons for people not to shop for a new home, and you had better believe sellers know that.

Summer has inherently become synonymous with competition. Both buyers and sellers are competing over, well, buyers and sellers. As a result, we are made privy to one of the most enigmatic phenomena of the entire real estate market: competition. On the one hand, sellers are well aware of the fact that competition over their properties can result in a higher asking price. It’s worth noting, however, that buyers aren’t the only ones competing: Sellers, as it turns out, must compete with other sellers to receive the business of buyers. So in a sense, everyone is competing with everyone.

Competition isn’t necessarily a bad thing for those trying to make moves over the summer. In reality, competition tips the scale in favor of those that are prepared. Those that can identify the motivation of the other party are more likely to go into a respective deal with an inherent degree of leverage; leverage that can very easily favor both buyers or sellers. The trick is to mind due diligence and educate yourself on the task at hand.

Are you ready for the summer real estate market? What you don’t know could hurt you. However, it’s true what they say: knowledge is power. Educate yourself on real estate seasonality and go into this summer selling season with confidence.

Fall Real Estate Market

The fall real estate market, while still a beneficiary of hotter weather in select geographical locations, represents the end of the busiest time of the year. And while both buying and selling activity can still be seen with some regularity at this time of the year, it’s safe to assume the market has already peaked. But what does that mean for those looking to buy or sell in the fall? What should those looking to make a move in the fall expect from the market?

As it turns out, real estate seasonality tends to favor those in a position to buy when the weather starts to cool off a bit. And while there are certainly exceptions to the rule, you will notice a few factors that tip the scale in favor of buyers. Namely, competition typically sees a steep decline after the summer rush. Most people that want to buy a home have probably already done so by the time September comes around. And, as I am sure you are aware, the laws of supply and demand dictate that lower demand will almost always result in a lower price point. It’s at this time that buyers tend to stop competing with other buyers and homeowners actually start competing for the attention of prospective owners. As a result, homes tend to drop in price the farther they are removed from the summer months.

It also stands to reason that homes that aren’t able to sell over the course of summer must reevaluate their current marketing strategy. Namely, price drops. There is no reason to believe a home that doesn’t sell in summer won’t need to drop its price point to attract buyers. And if you play your cards right, that buyer could be you.

Winter Real Estate Market

For many of the same reasons real estate seasonality tends to favor buyers in the fall, winter has become synonymous with a great time to buy. However, the deals you may find in the colder months have less to do with price and more to do with competition, or lack thereof. You see, it’s become commonplace for the majority of prospective buyers to actively participate in the market when not only the weather permits, but lifestyle choices as well. Not only are a great deal of geographical regions hampered by severe cold at this time of the year, but you have to remember that there is a lot going on between December. and March. People’s excuses for not buying homes run the gamut from holidays to school commitments (their own or their children’s).

It’s safe to assume there is a lot less competition over the course of winter, but that doesn’t mean real estate seasonality forces the entire market to go on sabbatical. Instead of hibernating for winter, those intent on buying a home could be rewarded nicely for their efforts over the slower months. If for nothing else, there are so few people looking to buy that sellers can’t help but shave a couple of dollars off their asking price to ensure a timely transaction. In fact, it’s at this time of the year buyers could find themselves coveted by sellers.

Spring Real Estate Market

While those looking to buy a home may covet the cold thaw of winter because of its propensity towards lower prices and less competition, sellers should take solace in the fact that warmer months tend to work more in their favor. As the weather heats up, so too does the selling market, and spring is no exception. It’s at this time of the year that more people start to amp up their home buying efforts. Not only are schools due to be out for summer, but the cold temperatures of winter are no longer enough to keep people indoors. For all intents and purposes, spring marks the time of year when buyers are expected to come out in droves, and sellers have come to expect just that.

Not surprisingly, spring has become synonymous with competition. It’s worth noting, however, that while competition may hurt buyers, it is a seller’s best friend. Remember my brief lesson on supply and demand? When there is growing demand in a limited inventory market, sellers can easily get away with increasing their asking price. In fact, depending on the area and the amount of interest, you may find buyers bidding prices up just to get into a house they deem worthy to be a home.

Real estate seasonality isn’t rocket science; however, it does take some familiarity with the concept to really understand how the market works. Those that are, more or less, unfamiliar with real estate seasonality could find their efforts going to waste. On the other hand, those that have a good grasp on the best times of the year to buy and sell could find that they have an advantage over the competition. So the next time you go to buy or sell a home, make sure it’s the right time.

Information above was sourced from https://www.thanmerrill.com/real-estate-seasonality/