Sellers should get a move on ... Buyers should see everything, but take their time...

If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in Marin County, you already know you are embarking on a project that could have a major impact on your financial well being and your quality of life.  You probably also know that the choices you make -- everything from timing your sale or purchase, to choosing a realtor, to whether you paint and stage -- could have a dramatic affect on the outcome of your efforts.  What I am going to do with this blog is tell you what I know, in real time, that can help you meet with maximum success.

So here's what I know right now.  Buyers are back in big numbers.  Our open houses, even on tired listings, have been very well attended. Buyers are nervous about interest rates going up, tired of having their lives on hold, and ready to get on with their lives in a new home.  Percentage of homes in contract is over 30%, meaning that at the moment, it is actually a seller's market in most of Marin County.

That means sellers are waking up and getting ready to go.  We've been hearing from many of them, wondering if they should start painting, staging, prepping, and getting ready to go.  Sellers are feeling similar to buyers, in that they are tired of waiting for a better economic climate and want to get on with their plans to move. 

Obviously, this real estate market, like any market, is shaped by its supply and demand.  Buyers are ready now. Sellers are slowly waking up to Spring.  Our sense is that the early birds will catch the fattest worms in this market.  Most of the new listings that have popped up this week (the first week after Super Bowl, and traditionally the kick off of the Spring market) are recycled listings from last year.  Anything truly new stands out, and today, in Southern Marin, agents will be out of tour scouring the new listings for the well priced properties.  As we move along further into the Spring, and more listings come on, the competition will be more intense.

So, today's advice to sellers is: Get a move on!  The sooner you get on market, the more buyers you'll have considering your home.  To buyers:  Get out there, see everything, but know that the bulk of the new listings are still being prepped, so take your time, make sure you buy a place you really love, or you can turn into something lovable.