When You Know It's Time to Sell Your Home!

In the day and age where the real estate market is filled with Foreclosures and Short Sales some people want to know when is a good time to sell your home?  My answer is TODAY!  As I speak with many people in the real estate industry, they all say inventory is very low. 

Once you remove the Short Sales and Foreclosures from the equation there are not that many “turn-key” properties for buyers to purchase and close in a short turn around time.  There are four factors in making a decision to sell your home:  your living needs, the condition of the home itself, your neighborhood and your community.

So what are the conditions that would make you as a homeowner want to sell your home? Wel,l let’s start with the basics, do you like the space you live in?  Is it too big? Maybe you have raised your family and the home and the yard is just too much work at this time in your life. Downsizing is the option for you. Is it too small? Maybe you are outgrowing it; you have children, maybe more children on the way or extended family that will be living with you in the near future, such as an aging parent. Then looking at homes with more space and yard could be the route you need. In either case, there are so many great homes on the market that will suit your needs.

What about the home that you currently live in itself? Does it need work? When you make a list, do you find your home needs a new roof? What about a new HVAC? What about insulation or new windows to keep the cost of the utilities down? How about curb appeal? When is the last time you had an upgrade to the kitchen or bathrooms? Is your home dated? The really big question of the day is would you buy it right now and today as it looks for the price of homes currently listed in your neighborhood?

Let’s talk about your neighborhood. Is there neighborhood pride? Do your neighbors care about their homes? Do you see them making sure they have “curb appeal to their homes?” Do they have dirt in the front yards where there should be grass? Do your neighbors park on the grass when there are ordinances in the community stating otherwise? Are the neighbors keeping their homes freshly painted? Are the homes in your neighborhood single-family Residences or does it resemble an apartment complex or boarding house? Do cars speed through your neighborhood or do drivers respect the pedestrians in the area? Do you have a high residential ownership or are most of the homes rented out? Only you can answer these questions and decide whether your level of acceptance of these conditions is good for you and your family. 

Lastly, one of the factors about selling your home should be based on your community. Do you have easy access to what you and your family need on a regular basis? Such needs include things like food, shopping, medical, schools, entertainment and restaurants? Do you have public and private schools that rank among the top schools in the area? Are they sought out schools districts?  Checking out the local crime reports can be helpful in your decision as well. Do your community leaders and Neighborhood Association’s enforce neighborhood & City Ordinances to maintain the integrity and value of the neighborhoods & city at large? 

In closing, only you can decide if it is time to sell your home and based on these 4 areas you can decide if you need to sell your home or just spruce things up a bit!