Best to Fall

/ The Sean Priest Team/

Most people come alive in Spring and Summer here in Richmond. Kids are finishing up school and parents are deciding what camps to put them in, pools are opening, grills are being fired up, and the temperatures are rising. While others are vacationing and enjoying the festivals of Summer, I’m cleaning, organizing, and maintaining a very hectic schedule — something about people tending to sell and buy homes in the Spring and Summer season, have you heard this?

See, I come alive in Fall. There’s something about the crispness in the air that makes me want to get out, especially knowing my hair isn’t going to look like a misshaped nest which has adorned my cranium due to humidity. This is the time I enjoy walks in Hollywood Cemetery or at the River and watch the transition of the scenery. This is the period where I reflect and decide what my goals are going to be for the next year. It is the time I can find seats on brewery patios, avoiding pumpkin flavored things as much as possible, as I prepare for the holiday season. I’m a procrastinating gift buyer, I never send cards out, and forget about being crafty with wreaths and putting out cinnamon scented candles. That ain’t me. Instead, I’m planning how to get together with family and friends, going to pick out my future jack o’lantern, making travel plans, and constructing Halloween costumes. Apparently mine was chosen this year by a very avid “How to Train Your Dragon” fan, looks like I’m getting my Viking on.

So now I lay down strategy for you all. It’s not time to hibernate yet and it’s also the perfect time to sell your home in these upcoming months. Why? It’s about maximizing value. It’s about standing out after a saturated Summer market. In the Fall you have the ability to do these things. You have buyers who are more serious about putting offers down because there’s less to be picky about, they are feeling the pressure to get in before the holiday and cold months arrive. Most sellers think because school has started, buyers won’t be apt to buy, but they are forgetting about transient Richmond and Millennials. Most larger companies bringing in new blood from other cities don’t have time for competing in a competitive multiple offer climate, so they wait until the Fall months.

It’s also the best time to get repairs and photos done because it’s not miserable outside and you’ve spent a good portion of the Summer planting, mowing and cleaning leading to that curb appeal everyone always talks about. Get those mums out and get listed! Let’s be honest, homes are more inviting in the Fall with warm scents and decor and what season lends itself to spending the most time at home? You got it!

I’d have to say the most appealing motivation for selling a home in Fall is for your own benefit. Who wants to move in gross, humid weather? Everyone is moving during that time, finding movers is a pain. What’s really beneficial is that you selling your home will ease the pain of you finding a new one. Houses left on the market from the Summer will start to reduce their prices, leaving you as the home buyer in a favorable position and you will truly be transitioning into the new year with some tax breaks, I might add.

Are you leaning a little? Not ready to take the jump? There’s one last thing I want you to consider. Your Realtor®. We’ve been all over town with clients coming and going, selling and buying, talking and meeting. The Summer has been hot and quite rainy, not that we are complaining, but it’s difficult to give the attention we pride ourselves on to so many clients at once. We welcome the Fall and Winter because that means we can spend more time with you. More open houses, more attention to answer your questions and concerns in a timely manner, and the ability to concentrate on marketing and selling your home while negotiating getting you into a new one.

No matter the season, your Realtor® is working for you. We just want you to consider the benefits of selling your home in the Fall months. I’m ready for the change to be honest, this past year has been quite vocal and I’m ready to put my hoodie on, do some traveling, sit with friends around the fire pit, and deciding if this year I’ll be hosting some holiday parties, but first things first, back to getting these skulls glued onto this leather skirt…argh!