"What's the best time to list my home?" - One of the most popular questions I get asked day to day.
There are several factors that go into figuring out the best way to market a property. The time of year is important with market spikes in the spring and fall, but if that is the only factor that drives a seller to list, many opportunities may be missed.
True, spring is a hot time on the market with a great deal of homes being listed in a short period of time. Lots of buyers are also looking meaning that your home will likely get shown often (as long as it is priced properly).
Let's stop for a moment and think about the advantages of listing before the big rush...
I have been chatting with many of the REALTORS® in the area lately, and the overwhelming consensus is that this has been the busiest January in a very long time. Buyers are aware of the interest rates being very low and are out looking for their next home. These buyers are not the "tire kickers" that we sometimes see in the spring.
These are serious consumers trudging through snowbanks and braving fierce winds to view your home.
They are out there to find a property to purchase now, not just curious about the neighborhood or spicing up the "Sunday Drive". While you may not have the quantity of showings that you might in the spring, the quality is there. Less showings resulting in more offers - WIN/WIN!
One of the stressful times during the buying/selling process is the time between the initial offer being presented and a binding agreement being fully agreed upon and signed by all parties. Time is always of the essence, but there is a heightened sense of urgency in the spring. This causes extra stress on everyone and can make the negotiations seem frantic for some. Consider this process in the winter, I have found that everyone involved feels a little less pressure during this time, and less pressure means more rewarding transactions. It is also easier to book appointments like home inspections and estimates for upgrades as the suppliers of these services are not as busy and have more time slots available.
Finally here at Exit Realty Town & Country we are about to launch an incentive program for clients wishing to list this spring. If you are interested in listing, give me a call I can let you know all about this really attractive give away!
Call me today and get a jump start on the spring rush, let's talk about a less stressful and more rewarding sale of your home!
Megan White
902-680-2736
Positive attitude can be hard to come by these days. Is it that we get the mid-winter blues this time of year? Perhaps It's a lack of vitamin D making us grumpy (although, I have noticed some people are negative no matter how much or little the sun shines around them). I can tell you one thing, I am getting fed up of the world around me bringing me down over and over. It's time to cancel out this negative energy!
I am not saying to bury our heads in the sand and pretend there are not things happening that deserve our attention, what I am saying is that sometimes it's up to us to be the bearer of our own good news!
But HOW you ask, with all the negative images and stories out there? How will I get around to giving myself a tiny pep talk each and every day? Here's my solution... make more passwords!
Change your settings on your computer, tablet and cell phone so that every time you activate one of these vastly time consuming devices you have to enter a password.
Tell me more Megan! This is something I can do!
Here's how it works. You password lock everything you own and use the same password for all your devices, change it every week so that multiple times per day/hour you are typing in this mantra. That's the key, the password is a mantra!
Something great to look forward to (VACATION IN FEBRUARY)
A silly one for a laugh (UNICORNS LOVE DANCING)
A positive affirmation (I AM TOTALLY HILARIOUS)
Maybe you need to solve an issue (WHERE ARE MY SLIPPERS)
A dream for the future (THIS YEAR I STOP RENTING)
The point is that repetitive positive thoughts, however small brighten your day and it's easy work them into your routine. Positive changes stem from positive thoughts.
Positive people produce positive results.
Positive outcomes rely on positive ground work.
Now looking into the future for this upcoming year, what kind of positive changes would you like to see? How are you going to get the ball rolling right now? Many peoples thoughts stay towards real estate... Becoming a homeowner, or perhaps generating more revenue with income properties, maybe you are dreaming of a bigger place with all the upgrades!
In any case, if your life could be made better through the purchase and/or sale of property, you should call me! Because really... what kind of a person do you want to work with on some of the most exciting decisions you could ever make about your life?!
With the price of oil dropping drastically, the sustainability of work in the boom/bust industrial places like Fort McMurray and across Alberta is coming into question. Quality of life and opportunity are topics of great discussion... Here is my take on the matter.
A huge portion of the youth here on the East Coast get the feeling of adventure at some point in their lives, they want to step out and see what the world has to offer away from our sheltered, safe Annapolis Valley. I took a summer job in Denver CO when I was young that turned into a decade long adventure all over North America and even to England! Unfortunately many of these youth are staying away, lured in by promise of higher paying jobs and a faster paced lifestyle. For me it was opportunity, the ability to train with the best coaches in the world and compete at prestigious venues amongst Olympians and World Champions. In the end what brought me back was the quality of life here.
Funny, some may say we are in a permanent recession and the Maritimes are a "have not" area. I disagree, as it all depends on what is ultimately important to you. If you are looking for blaring nightlife, neon lights and a go, go, go extreme pace... this area is not suited. I will offer an appeal though, to the ever growing popularity of sustainable lifestyles and stopping the "glorification of busy". These are people who want to know the farmer who raised their food, connect with their neighbors and the people in their community, the people who agree that quality of life is not directly correlated with income and net worth.
If this kind of life is what you are looking for, then I would argue that Nova Scotia is precisely where you should be. I have found that there is a sense of camaraderie, friendliness and caring that is hard to match, and impossible to quantify. We are polite and giving to excess (I often joke that an Annapolis Valley traffic jam is 4 cars at an intersection all waving each other through first.)
Perhaps we need to re evaluate what it means to be successful, what is truly important to our well being and happiness. I suppose it's a totally individual thing, but societal pressures may lead us to ideas that are not necessarily sustainable for ourselves as individuals and for our fragile ecosystem.
Ask yourself next time you are thinking of moving..
What does quality of life mean to ME?
How can I be truly happy, and where can I make that my reality?
What kind of people do I want to be surrounded by?
If your answers point towards a more relaxed, people oriented place maybe you should consider a move to the Annapolis Valley.
If you do decide that living here is worth a leap of faith and perhaps some creative ideas about entrepreneurship, call me. Let's talk about the opportunities available here and start looking at what your dollar is worth in the local housing market. I made the move back and I could not be happier or more satisfied!
Let's discuss the possibilities!
