With the white hot North Atlanta housing market in full swing, many homeowners are at a crossroads as to whether to list their properties now or not.
The Climate
It’s a seller’s market and frankly, and honestly, no one actually saw this coming with this veracity. Inventory is low. This is especially true for the $400,000 + price points. Read more here.
Put these two factors together and multiple offers are appearing on the table within 24 hours. This seller’s fantasy is no longer the exception, but is happening repeatedly. So, it’s perfectly normal that this climate, has even reluctant sellers tempted.
The Process
The truth is no one can tell you if it’s a good time for you to list your property. Of course Gail and Claire can tell you that based on market conditions, it’s a great time. However, as we know, deciding to list your home is way more complicated than that. So here’s some helpful advice to help you work through your decision making process.
Read through the following steps and be as honest and unemotional as possible. It often helps to invite over a friend that can offer straightforward opinions and will not have the same emotional attachments that you may have. This is also a great time to invite over Gail and Claire, who help clients think through their options.
Take A Brutally Honest Inventory
This is a tried and true method to help you make a decision. Old fashioned and crazy simple…but it works. Take a sheet of paper and draw a vertical line straight down the middle and on one side, list the things you love about your home and its location.
Examples to get you going are neighborhood, square footage, floor plan, efficiency, and proximity to work, schools and play. Then on the other side, write down what is not working. Finally with regard to this side, ask yourself if these are items that can mostly be solved with remodeling. In other words can they be overcome? Finally, take out your crystal ball and ask yourself if your home will still be a fit in five years. Is it where you want to stay for a long while or even retire?
Do Your Research
If you are still unsure about your feelings, it is super helpful to go out and look at other houses and neighborhoods. One homeowner was shocked at how much square footage she would have to give up for an equal price point. Chances are construction costs are not what they were when your current home was built. However, you can’t always compare apple to apples as newer homes are often more energy efficient and greener than homes built in the past.
Also, check with Gail and Claire to get some expert advice on how much your home would sell for and how long it might take. They can also go over how they would market your home for the maximum market price. When you get all this information, it can help you determine if selling is best. Learn more about the McCown Group’s selling process here.
Gail and Claire have helped literally dozens of families make the tough decisions about listing or staying. They will be happy to consult with you, sort through the questions and answers in the decision making process, and if you decide to list, help you to determine the best list price. Contact them today to get started.
