Seller Beware

As interest rates have gone up, buyers’ tolerance has gone down.

Generally speaking, the mindset of buyers now is dramatically different from two to three years ago.

Buyers used to be more open-minded and flexible and now that has changed.

Higher rates have caused them to be far less tolerant of:

  • Aggressive pricing
  • Wear and tear
  • Properties in need of updates
  • Properties not staged
  • Defects and bad odors
  • Unsightly neighboring properties

Essentially, buyers are saying “If I am going to pay a higher interest rate, the property needs to be fairly priced and in very good condition.”

Sellers who are not aware of this dynamic, are the ones who have properties sitting on the market for excessive time.

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Seller Beware

As interest rates have gone up, buyers’ tolerance has gone down.

Generally speaking, the mindset of buyers now is dramatically different from two to three years ago.

Buyers used to be more open-minded and flexible and now that has changed.

Higher rates have caused them to be far less tolerant of:

  • Aggressive pricing
  • Wear and tear
  • Properties in need of updates
  • Properties not staged
  • Defects and bad odors
  • Unsightly neighboring properties

Essentially, buyers are saying “If I am going to pay a higher interest rate, the property needs to be fairly priced and in very good condition.”

Sellers who are not aware of this dynamic, are the ones who have properties sitting on the market for excessive time.

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The Price is Right

This is an interesting and important time of year for current home sellers.

Thanksgiving is approximately 45 days away which is an important deadline for home buyers.

Many buyers who are considering a move this time of year would like to close on a home before Thanksgiving.

Current home sellers have a one to two week window to have their property under contract so a buyer can close by the Thanksgiving deadline.

Activity always slows in the winter and typically doesn’t show a noticeable increase until March.

So, proper pricing is paramount today so that sellers can take advantage of the seasonal window which is closing soon.

The post The Price is Right appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

The Price is Right

This is an interesting and important time of year for current home sellers.

Thanksgiving is approximately 45 days away which is an important deadline for home buyers.

Many buyers who are considering a move this time of year would like to close on a home before Thanksgiving.

Current home sellers have a one to two week window to have their property under contract so a buyer can close by the Thanksgiving deadline.

Activity always slows in the winter and typically doesn’t show a noticeable increase until March.

So, proper pricing is paramount today so that sellers can take advantage of the seasonal window which is closing soon.

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Increasing Reductions

More and more sellers are having to reduce their listing price.

Nationally, 37% of all home sellers have recently had a listing price reduction. This is according to a recent report from Altos Research.

This is up from 30% in May and is now at the second-highest level since 2018. The highest it has been in the last five years is November 2022 when it stood at 41%.

A “normal” range is between 25% and 30%. Today’s number is a result of softening demand based on higher interest rates.

Proper pricing is always important for a seller and is especially so now as we enter a typically slower time of the year with added challenges related to interest rates.

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Showings to Sell

How many showings will a property have before it sells?

In Northern Colorado, the answer is eight.

This is according to our local MLS system called IRES which tracks the median number of showings a property has before going under contract.

This information is valuable to sellers so they can have realistic expectations while starting the process of selling their home.

It is also a useful guideline to gauge if a property is priced correctly. If a home has had more than eight showings but is not under contract yet, there may be an issue with the price and/or condition.

Counterintuitively, this statistic is lower today than it was in the hot market of 2021. Back then the median was 12 in Larimer County and 10 in Weld County.

The reason why it was higher then, even though the market was stronger, is because there were many more buyers looking at properties. Back then there were so many buyers that many homes only allowed 15-minute showing windows in order to accommodate all of the people who wanted to see homes.

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Seller Facts

Here are some fun facts about recent home sellers. This research comes from the National Association of Realtors survey of home buyers and sellers:

  • 10 years = the average time recent home sellers have lived in their home. This number has remained essentially unchanged for the last ten years. From 1987 to 2007 the average was 6 years.
  • 89% = the percentage of home sellers who use a Realtor to help sell their home. This has been trending higher over the last 20 years. In 2001, 79% of home sellers used a Realtor. As the transaction gets more and more complex, more sellers seek the help of a Realtor.
  • 75% = the percentage of home sellers who found their Realtor through a personal relationship as opposed to seeking out an agent they didn’t know.
  • 77% = the percentage of home sellers who only interviewed one Realtor for the job of selling their home.

The post Seller Facts appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

Seller Facts

Here are some fun facts about recent home sellers. This research comes from the National Association of Realtors survey of home buyers and sellers:

  • 10 years = the average time recent home sellers have lived in their home. This number has remained essentially unchanged for the last ten years. From 1987 to 2007 the average was 6 years.
  • 89% = the percentage of home sellers who use a Realtor to help sell their home. This has been trending higher over the last 20 years. In 2001, 79% of home sellers used a Realtor. As the transaction gets more and more complex, more sellers seek the help of a Realtor.
  • 75% = the percentage of home sellers who found their Realtor through a personal relationship as opposed to seeking out an agent they didn’t know.
  • 77% = the percentage of home sellers who only interviewed one Realtor for the job of selling their home.

The post Seller Facts appeared first on Fort Collins Real Estate | Fort Collins Homes for Sale & Property Search.

A Closing Window

For home sellers who would like to move to a new home this year, there is a window of time that is closing as we head into the Fall months.

 

Most people know that the Spring and Summer are the most active months for real estate and that activity trails off into the Fall and Winter.

Here are the specific numbers behind this…

The number of homes sold along the Front Range in November tends to be between 15% and 29% lower than September.

That means the best window of time for current sellers to obtain a contract from a buyer and close by the end of the year will occur over the next 45 days.

For sellers who have homes on the market today, it is time to ensure that:

  • The home is priced right versus the competition
  • All of the marketing elements are in place
  • It is easy for a buyer to make an offer on the home

 

 

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Home Warranties Provide Buyers and Sellers With A Peace Of Mind

If you are a homeowner, you probably know all-too-well how costly home repairs can be. And, thanks to Murphy’s Law, appliance break-downs seem to happen at the worst possible time—like when you are selling your home. For this reason, it is in the best interest of all home sellers to consider purchasing a home warranty.

A home warranty offers many advantages to the home seller, the least of which is a peace of mind that your major home appliances are covered in the event of a break down. Most home warranties cover both parts and labor of your home’s most vital systems and major appliances. This protects the home seller from potentially large, unexpected repair bills and also allows the buyer to purchase the home with more confidence. Additionally, a home warranty is usually for the term of at least one year, so any unforeseen repairs/replacements are also covered well after the home has been sold. A home warranty also provides a competitive edge over those homes without warranties because it communicates confidence to buyers. This can add up to a faster selling period, resulting in a more convenient process for all involved.

A home is probably the single largest investment you’ll ever make, so the last thing you want as a home seller or buyer, are unexpected home repairs/replacements. Major appliance replacement can cost you several thousand dollars, and during the process of a home sale/purchase, your budget doesn’t often allow for costly expenses. A home warranty is designed to protect you from these types of expenditures. Furthermore, it is convenient for home sellers because a home warranty offers after-sale liability. While an inspection may find many faults that are covered by a home warranty, it cannot account for latent problems that are beyond an inspection’s scope, or problems that occur down the road. In most cases, a home warranty will cover these expenses, alleviating potential financial burdens for the seller once they have sold the home.

When considering a home warranty, it’s important to ask the right questions. Warranties vary from one company to the next and there are also many different types of coverage available. Your Realtor should be able to help you with this process. First and foremost, you should identify which components of the home will be covered by the warranty. It’s also important to attain annual costs and the charge for service calls. You will want to ask what the total dollar limit is on the warranty and what the limits are for the individual items that are covered. Many home sellers purchase home warranties, which are then passed along to the homebuyer when they move into the home. As a homebuyer, you may want to look into whether or not the coverage can be renewed once the warranty has expired.

According to American Home Shield, one of the largest home warranty companies in the nation, the average home warranty customer uses their warranty plan 2.3 times. Furthermore, the number of home warranties is increasing with every year because homeowners are becoming more informed of their benefits. Eventually home warranties will become commonplace, as buyers and sellers realize the advantages they offer. Ultimately, what it comes down to is that a home warranty is a very simple, cost-effective way to purchase a peace of mind for both homebuyers and sellers alike.

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