Selling a House?

Thinking of Selling a House? Now May be the Right Time

Are you thinking about selling a house or condo in Naples Florida? Inventory is arguably the biggest challenge for buyers in today’s housing market. There are simply more buyers actively looking for homes to purchase than there are sellers selling them, so the scale is tipped in favor of the sellers.

According to the latest Existing Home Sales Report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR), total housing inventory is down 18.8% from one year ago. Inventory is well below what was available last year, and the houses that do come to the market are selling very quickly.

Sam Khater, Chief Economist at Freddie Mac notes:

“Simply put, new housing supply is not keeping up with rising demand. We estimate that the housing market is under supplied by 3.3 million units, and the shortage is rising by about 300,000 units a year. More than half of all states have a housing shortage.”

Why is inventory so low?

There are many reasons why it’s hard to find a home to buy today, stemming from an under supply of newly constructed homes to sellers pressing pause on their moving plans due to the current health pandemic. One of the key factors making it even more challenging, however, is the amount of time current homeowners are staying in their homes. There has truly been a fundamental shift in the market that started about 10 years ago: people are staying put longer, and it’s contributing to the shortage of houses for sale.

In the 2019 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, NAR explained:

“In 2019, the median tenure for sellers was 10 years…After 2008, the median tenure in the home began to increase by one year each year. By 2011, the median tenure reached nine years, where it remained for three consecutive years, and jumped up again in 2014 to 10 years.”

As shown in the graph below, historical data indicates that staying in a home for 5-7 years used to be the norm, until the housing bubble burst. Since 2010, that length of time has trended upward, toward 9-10 years, largely due to homeowners aiming to recoup their equity:

Thankfully, with the strength the market has gained over the last 10 years, today’s homeowners are in a much better equity position. Now is a fantastic time for homeowners who are ready to make a move to break the 10-year trend and sell their houses, especially while buyer demand is so high and inventory is so low. It’s a prime time to sell.

In addition, with today’s historically low interest rates, there’s an opportunity for sellers to maintain a low monthly payment while getting more house for their money. Think: move-up opportunity, more square footage, or finding the features they’re really looking for rather than doing costly renovations. With more new homes poised to enter the market this year, homeowners ready to make a move may have a golden opportunity to do so right now.

There are simply not enough houses for sale today. If you’re ready to leverage your equity and sell your house, let’s connect today. It’s a great time to move while demand for homes to buy is extremely high.

Selling a House or Condo? Work with an Experienced Naples Luxury Realtor

In today’s rapidly changing market, it’s critical to make sure you have a digital game plan and an effective online marketing strategy when selling your home, especially if you are selling a luxury home. One of the ways your agent can help with this is to make sure your listing photos and virtual tours stand out from the crowd.

So, if you’re ready to move forward, virtual practices may help you win big when you’re ready to sell. While abiding by state and local regulations is a top priority, we can help make your sale happen. We know exactly what today’s buyers need, and how to put the necessary digital steps in place. For example, according to the same survey, when asked to select what technology would be most helpful when deciding on a new home, here’s what today’s homebuyers said, in order of preference:

Virtual tour of the home
Accurate and detailed listing information
Detailed neighborhood information
High-quality listing photos
Agent-led video chat
Paperless transactions

Thus, if you are contemplating selling a home in Bonita Springs, Estero, Naples or Fort Myers, we encourage you to work with a Professional Real Estate Agent or REALTOR® who has the experience and knowledge to provide an accurate market comparison so you can determine the right asking price.

Now more than ever, an agents presence on the internet is critical to selling your home. Let’s connect to talk about how we would leverage new real estate technology such as virtual tours and high end photography, e-mail marketing, social media marketing and much more.

Finally, if you live in a golf community in southwest Florida, you have a lot of competition in the market with more than 150 other golf communities. Contact us today to learn how your home or condo stacks up against the competition and how we can position your property to sell quickly and for a fair price.

Should I Use a Realtor or Sell on My Own?

Bottom Line:

If you are looking for a focused and goal-oriented Realtor in southwest Florida who will help you achieve your Real Estate needs, please reach out to us directly. Additionally, if you are looking for a golf community expert or you are considering buying or selling a home, luxury home, vacation home, golf home, pet-friendly or dream home, call or text 239-370-0892 or email Matt@NaplesGolfGuy.com