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September 2020 Market Update

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Here Comes Fall (and all things pumpkin spice)

The Global Pandemic has not slowed down the real estate market here in Northern Virginia. Low inventory levels continue to be the main issue as there are many buyers in the market and not enough homes to purchase. Couple this with historically low-interest rates, and we have a solid seller’s market, which also means we have an extremely challenging buyer’s market. Today, the median days on the market are just six days, and the average days on market are only 19. Now, of course, there are some properties in specific locations and price points that are staying on the market longer, but generally speaking, most houses are selling quickly. Buyers need to make decisions swiftly and make solid offers if they want to be in the running as the next owner of their home of choice.

In today’s market, we do have some additional challenges, not just the shortage of homes for sale. A remarkably close second challenge we are experiencing involves the lending process if the buyer does not select the right lender. For example, we are encountering long lead times for appraisals, lack of urgency to close loans on time (they treat the purchase transactions like a refinance and the loan is in the order it was received,) numerous appraisals coming in low as buyers are escalating prices above market price and response time frames from the loan officer as they are overwhelmed with refinances. As a side note, it is extremely important to select the right lender when you are accepting a contract on your listing or when you are buying your home. The highest offer is not always the best offer.

Additionally, we have a lot of stress in the market. Buyers are losing out on multiple homes, which causes frustration. Sellers not receiving offers as high as they believe they should make them anxious. Agents can be rude, arrogant, unresponsive, and unprofessional, which causes everyone to stress out.  It is so important today to hire the right agent to guide you through the home selling or home buying process, an agent that knows how to navigate with you for a smooth and seamless process. So, if you are looking to sell or buy a house today, call me – I have helped many others successfully buy and sell properties in today’s unbalanced market.

I hope you have a great Labor Day!

November Market Update

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18_300510_Fall Social Covers Fall Facebook Thankful

We are Grateful for You!

Now that another Halloween has come and gone, hopefully you weren’t spooked by the real estate market and the news that you have heard about it. The market is good – not bad – not slow – not great – just good. People need to expect that their house isn’t going to sell in a matter of hours or days, it will, in most cases, take a couple of weeks to a month or even longer to sell. As I’ve said before, it all depends upon your price point, condition and location. All around the region, we are seeing median days on market are up as are the average days on market. Again, don’t be spooked, we continue to see steady sales, low inventory and stable prices. Buyers are just taking a bit little longer to make decisions on buying. Some are still looking for the house to be in perfect condition at a “value” price. In some cases, they too, need to be realistic. Not every house is perfect and not every house is value priced so, just make an offer and see how the seller responds. If there is a house for sale, the sellers want it sold and they just want to “hear” it from the market and not the agent in a lot of cases.

So, what is on the horizon? Interest rates will continue to rise which will cause some buyers to leave the market. Some will opt for alternative forms of financing such as adjustable rate mortgages or if you have an assumable loan – assumptions. If you are interested in buying, this is a great option as well. Please give me a call to learn more whether you are selling or buying.

What else could impact our area you ask? Amazon and their HQ2 is the answer! At this time, they are in advanced negotiations with Northern Virginia on their next headquarter location, Crystal City to be more precise. What does this mean for our region? There will be some impact on housing, some impact on commercial properties (depending upon their location), a definite impact on our economy and lastly, an
impact on traffic as 50,000 jobs (or 25,000 if they split the locations) plus supporting company employment will bring more commuters. The local real estate industry is excited about this potential move, but we are not counting on anything concrete until the final decision is made. If you would like to know more, please feel free to call me as I have been following this developing news quite extensively. Also, I am happy to discuss your next move at any time.

Have a great Thanksgiving and enjoy the time with your family and friends!
-Scott