Key Takeaways

• First-time home-sellers need an accurate value before listing.
• Sellers need to make smart choices on repairs and staging.
• Offers are evaluated on multiple factors, not just price.

The three most common questions first-time sellers ask our real estate team.

It’s common to be overwhelmed by the number of questions you inevitably run into when you’re selling your home. Does the doorbell work? Are the exterior colors suitable for today’s market? Am I getting what my home is worth? From marketing the house to negotiating a fair market price and making repairs, here are some of the most common questions sellers ask us and some helpful strategies you can utilize when selling your home.

Question 1: How do I know what my home is worth?

Ultimately, a home is worth what someone will pay for it. However, there are three values attributed to any home currently on the market:

• What the seller thinks it’s worth.
• What the buyer assumes it’s worth.
• What a professional appraiser will think it’s worth.

One of the most critical aspects of selling your home is quickly getting those three numbers to align. Most real estate agents freely perform a comparative market analysis of home values to establish a property’s value to determine a selling price. They look at factors such as square footage, construction quality, condition of the home and neighborhood, design, and floor plan, plus all of the neighborhood’s features, like transportation availability, nearby shopping, and area schools. 

Question 2: How do I get my home ready to sell? 

Nearly all home purchase contracts include an inspection clause. This term is a buyer contingency that allows buyers to back out of the deal if numerous defects present themselves or negotiate their repair. 

The trick to getting your home ready for the market is not to overspend on pre-sale improvements, especially if few houses are on the market with many buyers willing to pay almost any price. On the other hand, making such investments is the only way to stage and sell your house, even in a market that favors sellers.

Here are some quick highlights of expected home improvements and staging tips that every homeowner should have on their checklist going into negotiations:

• Make sure that your roof is up-to-date; this will get you the highest return on your investment.
• Fix any maintenance issues, such as leaks, plumbing problems, drafts, rusty areas, squeaky floorboards, mold, or mildew well before buyers can find them.
• Applying a fresh coat of paint will make rooms look brand-new! 
• Polishing lighting fixtures and upgrading light bulbs is an inexpensive way to make a home look newer and brighter. 
• Less clutter helps a home look larger inside, so remove extra objects or furniture to give your home a more spacious feel.

Question 3: How do I pick the right offer on my home?

While seeing a bid over-asking price will make your heart race, it’s best to take a deep breath and consider the whole picture. Buyers include contingencies, like inspection, financing, and appraisal, in their offers. The fewer contingencies, the better it is for the seller.

You can consider an all-cash offer to eliminate the risk of contingencies. Anywhere from a quarter to a third of home sales now are cash offers, depending on the market, so this is more common than you may think!

What’s your next step after your home sells? The closing timeline can influence choosing your best offer—perhaps you’re in a hurry to move into your new place, or you need some extra time to finish packing. There’s always a lot to consider, and each seller’s needs are different.

The ultimate question: what are my net proceeds?

Because the real estate market is continually changing, and market fluctuations affect property values, your list price, sale price, and closing costs must be based on the most recent comparable sales in your neighborhood. To find out the current value of your home, contact our team today! Selling your home is a team effort that yields more success with the help of the most qualified and skilled realtors.

Key Takeaways:

• The historic low housing inventory creates value opportunities in competitive housing markets.
• Anticipation of new home listings to hit a 10-year high as some owners see right now as the best time to sell.
• Condo and rental demand are likely to surge as inventory supply chain issues impact the housing market.

This Year Will Bring Balance to the Housing Market

After two consecutive years in which words like “unprecedented,” “historic,” and “white-hot” have been buzzing about, we can now add “inflation” to the list. 

What is inflation, and how will it affect the real estate market in 2022?

Real estate is not immune from the inflationary effects of declining purchasing power on an economy. When prices go up, so do the costs associated with real estate. In a nutshell, that’s how inflation works; like a rising tide lifts all boats, so does inflation with rising costs. However, there are always reasons to be genuinely confident in real estate’s proven ability to hedge against inflation and be profitable. 

Here are three particulars and tips to help you navigate these inflationary waters and better prepare you to make your move when you decide it’s time to do so. 

#1: Low Housing Inventory Drives Values

With the market expected to remain undersupplied throughout the year and with this year already seeing historic low numbers in housing inventory, continued supply chain issues, and material costs resulting from inflationary pressure will undoubtedly influence the market. Many analysts are anticipating a modest 3% growth in home values, compared to the 24% return that last year saw.

Historically, it is well-documented that real estate remains profitable when inflation affects an economy. One reason is that landlords can always pass their cost increases off to their tenants. But the real lesson here is the age-old axiom that scarcity creates value. So instead of seeing the record-low number of housing inventory as something to steer clear of, it means that while there may be much competition in home buying, that’s because of the value of being a homeowner.

#2: New Listings to Hit 10-Year High

The end of double-digit price growth in home values will also encourage more homeowners to cash out finally, which will create more inventory in the market. But as the market settles down and becomes more balanced, homeowners will also be more inclined to list their homes to offset inflationary pressures elsewhere, though it will not be enough to meet the expected historical demand in 2022. This increase in listings of existing homes will also coincide with a slight increase in the listings of newly constructed homes, similarly expected to be the highest in a decade. 

New home inventory should increase from 2021’s bottom, but we anticipate the market will remain undersupplied. In particular, the entry-level supply of new home construction will remain highly constrained. 

#3: Condo and Rental Demand Will Take Off

2022 will also see the end of mortgage forbearance, which along with inflationary pressures, will cause many homeowners to sell and rent instead. This surge in rental costs and demand will create opportunities for others looking to get into the housing market. As a result, expect rents to increase 7% by the end of 2022, more than double the predicted year-over-year growth in home prices of 3%, once again proving that homeownership is always a more reliable use and investment of your money. 

As the pandemic subsides, more people will live in cities once again where renting is more common. Additionally, the strong labor market will cause many movers wanting to move into a new town the opportunity to get to know their new city before they commit to homeownership. 

The Market Is Moving—Get Started Now

There’s always much to consider when buying a new home. Whether you’re a first-time home buyer or looking for your next, understanding the more significant economic trends is always important to maximize your efforts’ success. So contact us today and let us know how we can help support you in your journey.