4478 Reasons to List Your House For Sale Over the Holidays

Holiday Season is a Great Time to Sell!

The holiday season is such a hectic time for people. Getting together with family and friends, traveling, shopping, decorating, company parties, charity events... 

So why would a home-seller keep their house on the market and even more, why would anyone list their house for sale during this busy time? A lot of real estate agents (who don't work over the holidays) will tell you that no one buys houses over the holidays anyway and you'll get more money if you wait until Spring like everyone else does, right?

Well actually, there are 4478 reasons why! That is the number of single-family and condominium home sellers in Middlesex County who accepted offers on their houses last year between Thanksgiving and January 2. That includes 6 in Sudbury, 14 in Wayland, 17 in Concord, and 8 in Maynard. In Weston, there were 14, 10 in Hudson, and in Acton there were 14.

Sale prices for the properties that accepted offers during the holidays ranged from $160,000 for a condominium in Acton to $5,345,000 for a luxury estate in Weston; and all prices ranges in between. 

So why do houses sell over the holidays? Because:

• Buyers have time to look; unused vacation days; companies give their employees extra time for shopping.
• Holiday/year-end bonuses.
• Pay-raises.
• Motivated buyers who missed out or were out-bid in the Spring, Summer and Fall markets.
• New jobs - companies hire for the new year. Relocating buyers need to make decisions soon.
• People get engaged, married, combine households and need more space.
• Visiting family brings out the nesting instinct.
• Down-payment holiday gifts - click here to out how your family can give money tax-free.
• Good deals; buyers are seeing price reductions from sellers who are ready to move.
• People are in the mood to shop and there's nothing better than buying a house!

As for selling for more money in the Spring, if you are selling your house you are most likely going to buy another place to live. If prices are higher in the Spring, then you will also pay more for your next house. You may sell for less at this time of year but you will also pay less. If your end-goal is to buy another house, then understand that selling is just a step n the process toward buying. You will be ready to act as soon as houses come on the market while other buyers are waiting to sell.

So if your house is currently on the market, hang in there; the inconvenience can be worth it. If you are planning to sell, do it now. You'll be ahead of the competition and be ready to move forward.

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If you are ready to buy or sell in Concord, Wayland, Sudbury, or any of the towns west of Boston - call Marilyn at 508-596-3501 or visit www.marilynmessenger.com to see homes for sale in Massachusetts.

Condominium Market in Maynard Getting Stronger

18-5 Deer Path - Under Agreement

After many years of slow sales, the market for condominiums, and especially townhouses in Maynard has improved substantially this year! Year-to-date, there have been 14 condos, including 2 apartment style and 12 townhouses, sold compared with 9 for the same period in 2015. Sale prices for townhouses in Maynard YTD range from $145,000 for apartment style condominiums to $399,900 for new construction townhouses.

Current listings: There are currently 10 condominiums for sale in Maynard; five are higher priced new construction townhouses. The other five are in the established townhouse communities of Deer Hedge Run, Oak Ridge, and Apple Ridge. See condominiums for sale in Maynard and nearby towns.

Under Contract (Accepted Offers and Sales Pending): There are 7 condominiums with offers accepted waiting for contingencies and 9 sales pending. Several of the townhouses that are under contract had accepted offers within just a few days. Demand is strong from first time buyers and down-sizers. Condominiums can be a great way to own a home without having to be concerned about exterior maintenance and townhouses often have more space and amenities than single family homes for the same price.

Coming Soon: Deer Hedge Run townhouse with 2100+ square feet of living space spread over 4 finished levels that include a finished loft with fireplace, and a full finished walkout lower-level with a slider, laundry room, and full bath with a stall shower. The open floor offers flexibility for entertaining and everyday living. Beautiful yard and private wooded views. And, just a few steps to the pool, tennis courts, fitness room, and community guest parking. Call 508-596-3501 for details.
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About the author: Marilyn Messenger, a real estate broker, Certified Residential Specialist, and Accredited Buyer Representative associated with Andrew Mitchell and Company in Concord,  has been selling townhouses in Maynard, Sudbury, Concord, Wayland, and the towns west of Boston since 1993. As a townhouse owner and resident and former board of trustees member, she knows first-hand about condominium living. Contact Marilyn if you are thinking about buying or selling a condominium.

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Concord MA Real Estate: Pending Homes Sales Through the Roof!

Pending home sales were up 142% in January 2015 over January 2014; Sudbury was up 100%...

Closed sales and median sale prices were also higher...

Meanwhile, the number of properties for sale remains low make this a good to sell a house and a challenging time to buy.

Check out the slideshow for market reports for single-family homes in Wayland, Sudbury, Concord, Maynard, and Stow and view the full reports at www.marilynmessenger.com.

Rent or Buy? Must Ask Questions

Whether you should buy or rent a home depends on your wants, needs, priorities, short and long term goals. Given the option, most people still prefer to own, especially these days when rents have gone up and mortgage rates have gone down. The decision is not only financial, but in fact, most people buy for quality of life reasons.

Here are some must ask questions to answer if you’re trying to decide:

1)      What are your short and long term plans?

2)      What type of house do you want?

3)      What community do you want to live in?

4)      What is the upfront cost?  Down payment that goes toward the purchase price vs. security deposit, first and last month rent, rental agent fee.

5)      What is the actual after tax cost?

6)      How often do you want to move? A landlord can decide to sell the property at the end of your lease term end do you want to move after a year? What if you have children in school and there aren’t any rentals in that school district?

7)      Do you have a pet(s)? Many landlords do not allow any pets.

8)      How important is control over your living space?

9)      Do you like to decorate? You can’t change a rental; and why would you want to spend money on someone else’ property?

10)   How do you feel about paying your landlord’s mortgage/expenses, building some else’ wealth?

Ask a question
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Is Condo Living Right For You?

Condominium living has lots of benefits for the right person. Generally, you can get more living space for the same price as a single-family home, developments tend to be newer, and many offer amenities such as swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. that you probably wouldn’t have as a single-family home-owner. Exterior maintenance is taken care of by the homeowner association so you don’t have to be concerned about painting, landscaping, snow plowing, etc. If your roof leaks, just call the association.

If you’re someone who just wants easy living and convenience and you don’t mind paying a fee each month and letting other people make decisions for you and maybe giving up some personal freedoms for the greater good, it’s a great lifestyle! Just pay the fee, follow the rules, and forget about it…

So, what’s not to like? Well, if you like to be in control about how and when things happen, then you may not like it when the trustees of the association don’t respond to your requests right away. Or maybe your roof is going to be replaced in two years so they’ll only do a patch job for now. Or maybe you want Aunt Mary to visit next summer and park her trailer on the property. Or you want to leave your cat run free, or decorate for the holidays … the list goes on. You may not think the rules don’t matter and “Aunt Mary’s only staying for the weekend” no big deal, right! Unless lots of people are having guests with trailers all summer – what’s that going to look like? How do you feel about paying for repairs that really don’t directly benefit you… condo owners share everything – amenities as well as costly repairs.

I think you get what I mean… When purchasing a home, it’s important to think about how you want to live, not just what’s the biggest, newest place you can afford.

If you are looking for easy living, these two townhouse units at Deer Hedge Run and Oak Ridge in Maynard MA 01754 (22 miles west of Boston) can’t be beat!

Find your next home at www.marilynmessenger.com - complete MLS listings with addresses and maps, new and information to help you plan your move.

Written Agreements Benefit Buyers

Most consumers know that if they want to “hire” a real estate broker/agent to sell their home and represent their interests, they must sign a contract. Realtors® cannot list a property and represent a seller without one. The contract clearly spells out the terms of the agreement including length of time, compensation and each party’s responsibility.

A buyer agency agreement/contract does the same thing. It is an agreement for an exclusive arrangement between a buyer and a broker/agent for a period of time. It spells out how much the agent is to be compensated and by whom – it is in the buyer’s best interest to be clear about this. It describes each party’s responsibility and obligation. It lists the geographical areas covered, as well as the home search method. The contract also explains the terms “dual agent” and “designated agent” – very important to understand before the negotiation process.

While buyer agency is not a new concept – it has been legal in MA for about 15 years and a couple of years ago the law that governs agency relationships was updated to further ensure consumer protection, many buyers and some agents still don’t understand the benefits of a written Buyer Agency Agreement/contract. I have had many buyers call me to ask for help finding a home and they tell me they have had disappointing experiences with their “buyer” agents. When I ask if they had a contract with these agents, they answer is almost always “no”. Well, of course they are disappointed!

Satisfaction is tied to expectation. Know what to expect – get it in writing!

Find your next home at http://www.marilynmessenger.com/ - complete MLS listings with addresses and maps, news and information from an Accredited Buyer Representative and Certified Residential Specialist - Sudbury MA and west of Boston.

Sudbury Real Estate Market Conditions 1/15/07

Welcome to the Sudbury Real Estate market conditions report:The Sudbury MA real estate market is still doing better than what most of the headlines are saying. The good news for homeowners/sellers is that the number of homes sold Sudbury during 2007 increased by 17.6%! The not so good news is that prices were down, but not substantially when compared with other investments during 2007. The median sale...more

Visit http://www.marilynmessenger.com/ for the latest real estate market conditions for Sudbury, Wayland, Weston, Maynard, and Hudson... complete MLS listings, real estate news and information.

Sudbury Real Estate Market Conditions 12/04/07

The Sudbury market is certainly better than the national headlines about real estate! The number of homes sold year-to-date through the end of November is up 14.5% from the same period in 2006 - 203 from 177. The median sale price was up slightly - $672,500 from $670,000 ... more...

Search MLS listings and always get the latest information about real estate in Sudbury MA at www.marilynmessenger.com.

Home for the Holidays – Smart, Serious Buyers Buy Now!

Contrary to popular belief, holiday time can be a great time to be in the market for real estate. I’ve always said that smart buyers come out at Thanksgiving! In any market, there are many good reasons for this. Here are just a few:

1. Time to look. Companies give shopping days at this time of year – why not shop for a new home? Even if your ... More...

Find your next home at http://www.marilynmessenger.com or drop a note to marilynmessenger@realtor.com for advice from your local area expert in Sudbury, Maynard, Wayland, Weston, Hudson and west of Boston MA.