Market conditions as of 10-16-25

 We are transitioning from a sellers market to more of a neutral market.

Homes are selling, but we don't see many multiple offer situations.

The Sharp and updated homes still sell really well.

The average condition homes will take longer to sell, but if these sellers remember that this isn't 2022, when almost every home sold for record prices, market time will improve.

Days on the market are longer. Showings are fewer, thanks to the massive government spending of 2020-2024, which caused high inflation and mortgage interest rates that became unaffordable to many buyers.

Sellers are hesitant to give up their 2.75% interest rate.

Late 1st quarter 2026 (March and after), would be a great time to sell. All the buyers who have been hibernating will come out and boost the selling market.

Interest rates should be lower. This will also create more buyers.

The big question will be how many homes will hit the market?

Call us for an estimate on the value of your home and what you need to do to get it into selling condition without breaking the bank!

The Stress of Moving

 

Question: We are going to sell our home soon. I’m already stressing about it. Any suggestions you can share about this?

 

Answer: Moving is an emotional process. If you’re not calming down your nervous children, you're trying to reassure yourself that you'll meet people in your new neighborhood and that you bought the best house within your means.

If you can, keep an emergency fund in case you run into any unexpected costs. One example: If your buyer comes forward after a home inspection is completed and requests a series of repairs prior to move-in, you'll be prepared. Chances are good that you won't necessarily agree with the buyer's requests, but at least you won't face the additional stress of being short the money for repairs if you plan ahead and save some extra cash. It's probably in your best interests not to try to guess what the buyer will want to repair, and then fix it ahead of time. That's because buyers have a habit of isolating areas of your home that you never considered having repaired, and not even noticing the ones you expected them to pinpoint. So, save yourself any expenses until you've determined their requests.

Remind yourself of why you're moving in the first place: A job transfer, or is it a voluntary choice? Obviously, whether or not you had some degree of control over the decision will affect your outlook.

Envision your new home. Picture all your Family holidays in your new home.  As often as possible, try to imagine your family fully adapted to your new environment.

Remember to have a little fun occasionally. You're still allowed, even if you feel as if you don't have a penny left to your name. Take the family out to dinner, to a movie or a picnic -- anything that gets all of you out of the house and away from boxes, emotions and all of those pre-move concerns.                                                                             

Enjoy your time together and remember that this stress won't last forever. Regardless of what you're feeling now, the move will happen, and everything will eventually fall into place. Journeying into the unknown is what makes life rewarding. So, remember to look forward and enjoy the journey ahead.

 

 

Internet Home Value Sites

 Question: If a Realtor tells me my home is worth $380,000, and an internet home valuation site says $440,000, who do I believe? 

Answer: If the Realtor has five or more years of experience in your local market, has been inside your home, has noted the lot characteristics, has found comparables and provided a market analysis, and has discussed with you the features of your home that both add, and detract, from its value, you can bet their estimate of your home’s value is more accurate than an Internet Home estimate site.

These internet home estimate sites are notorious for over, and under, estimating home values. They don’t make house calls and have never been inside your home. They can’t see (or can’t subjectively evaluate) your ugly bathroom, your tired kitchen, your out-of-date finishes or your beautifully updated home.

Their algorithm doesn’t compensate for your house backing to a busy road, a fast-food drive-through window, or a sewage treatment plant. When it comes to subjective determinants of value, these internet home estimate sites miss the mark. Every time.

It’s ridiculous to try to compare an experienced human real estate professional to these inaccurate home estimate sites.

I know it’s tempting, but just don’t do it.

Real estate question

 Question: We signed a contract to sell our Home contingent on the buyer getting a loan approved & closing it by a given date.  The buyer did not get the loan & the deal was off.  We started showing the house again, but have now found out that the buyers got financing through a different bank & they can close by the original deadline. Are we still obligated to close or can we change the contract to better ourselves?

Answer:    Wait a second. Go back to the part about the “deal was off.” Did the buyers agree the  transaction was finished?  Did they get their earnest money back? Or did they simply find a financial bump in the road? Their offer was fair & acceptable— otherwise you would not have had a contract. The offer from the buyers may be the best you’ll get. Instead of seeking advantage from their difficulty, congratulate them for trying to meet the terms of the agreement & enjoy your check at closing!

Quick Joke....

 What's the difference between a bad Golfer and a bad Skydiver?

A bad golfer goes:     "Whack, Darn."

A bad skydiver goes: "Darn, Whack."

Here's all you need to know to have a great Lawn....and it's simple

From the Best of the professionals:

 Don't cut the grass too low. When you cut off all that foliage, the grass is forced to live off its energy reserves, and a stressed-out lawn is not going to look very good.

Besides being more disease-resistant, taller grass does a better job of blocking out weeds, meaning fewer dandelions to deal with; and it provides thicker shade cover for the soil, reducing evaporation and helping the lawn through dry spells.

 

To avoid scalping your grass, Rossi recommends following the 1/3^rd rule, whereby you never take off more than 1/3rd of the height of the grass. That’s probably longer than you’re used to, but besides reducing plant stress and water-loss, it means you won’t have to mow as often, about 25% to 35% less frequently.

 

For best results, lawn care experts recommend letting the grass grow to a little more than 5 inches, then cutting it back to around 3.5 inches, removing about 1/3^rd of the blade.

 

Compare that with someone who cuts their lawn down to 2 inches, going for a more manicured look. To do that and still follow the 1/3^rd rule, they will need to cut the lawn when it reaches 3 inches. That’s 1 inch of growth between cuttings versus 1.5 to 2 inches under the best-practices scenario. Which translates into mowing every 5 days instead of every 8 or 9 days. Multiple that out over the course of the entire growing season, and you get back a few extra Saturdays!

 

For a lush, healthy lawn, avoid these other common lawn care mistakes:

 

Mowing with a dull blade. It will tear at the grass blades, leaving behind jagged edges that loose water and invite disease. Experts recommend sharpening your blade every 10 hours of mowing

 

Bagging, instead of mulching. Lawn clippings are a natural source of nutrients for the lawn that can reduce fertilizing needs by 25% or more. So instead of bagging them (which adds time and effort to the chore), use your mower’s mulching mode to deposit the clippings back onto the lawn.

 

Pulling every last weed. Forget about the perfect, weed-free yard. It’s tough to achieve without pumping the lawn full of chemicals. Plus, some weeds are actually good for turf grass. Clover, for examples, pulls nitrogen from the air and feeds it to the soil.

 

Watering every day. A daily sip won’t help your lawn’s root system. A good long soak once a week (or every few days during high summer) is a better irrigation strategy. Lawn’s need about 1 inch of water per week, including rainfall.

 

Food for Thgought

There is going to be a flood of homes coming on the market as soon as the Fed cuts interest rates. Sellers have been patiently waiting, and their patience is running low.

If you have been thinking about selling, now is a great time! 

Remember, low supply and higher demand = higher sales prices.

Higher supply of homes means a lowering of home prices.

This is Basic economics.

Just out opinion, but we've been selling homes for 33+ years!