Tips for Home Buying and Selling in the Fall
September 15, 2011 by Customer Care
DES MOINES, IA, Sep 15, 2010 – September is here and the new Fall season has quickly thrown itself upon us. If you are trying to find a post-summer deal or looking to sell before the hectic holidays, there are plenty of things you can do to speed up your transaction and close on your home sooner rather than later.
“Sellers should do themselves a favor and play up the season to their full advantage,” says Robb Spearman, Broker Owner of RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts. Colder temperatures and nicely hued foliage make the fall a beautiful time of year. Add vibrant mums or other fall-bloomed flowers to the front of your house to add to its curb appeal. Further decorate with things like pumpkins, colored corn or an appropriate wreath on the door. These small additions will give your property a “homey” feel, suiting the newly changed weather and appealing to the buyer’s fall senses.
Sellers should also freshen up their listing photos to suit the new season. “If your home has been on the market since spring or summer, take new photos in order to make the house feel fresh and new,” says Spearman . If your photos include shots of fall foliage, for example, they will make your home appear to be new on the market. The updated look just may entice some buyers to come look at your home.
Buyers just starting their search have already lined themselves up to find a great deal. With the peak seasons of real estate transactions having passed, you may find yourself a bargain in September or October. Selection may lower, but competition from other buyers may lower even more.
With a slower market, sellers may also be willing to negotiate further than they would have one or two months prior. “You don’t want to completely turn sellers off with bids that are too far below their asking price. By hiring a knowledgeable real estate agent to help you make a strategic offer, you can be well on your way to making and closing on a great deal,” says Spearman.
Buyers may even be able to negotiate seller concessions, also known as seller contributions. These are agreements in which the seller pays part or all of the closing costs included in the sale. These costs could add up to 2-9% of the purchase price, but this varies. With smart negotiating, sellers anxious to sell may agree to help pay some of these costs in order to close sooner.
With the new season here, it is still a great time to both buy and sell. For more information on buying and selling during the fall season, please contact Customer Care at RREIN@RealEstateConcepts.net, 515-276-2872 or RE/MAX Real Estate Concepts.
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Filed under Des Moines Real Estate Blog
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