Are you trying to determine whether or not now is a good time to be selling your home? Maybe you’re wondering if it would be wise to wait until spring? After all, a lot of folks claim spring is when the real estate season is at its peak, right? Many of the reasons listed in 10 Reasons Why House Hunting in the Fall is a Wise Move carry over into why selling your home in the fall is wise, too. Here are six that will encourage you not to wait and go for it now.

6 Reasons Why Now is a Good Time to be Selling Your Home

1. Homes are Bought and Sold Year-round

Most homes are listed and sold when the real estate season is at its peak in the spring and summer. For this reason, many homeowners believe that the fall and winter are not a good time to be selling your home. This simply isn’t true. Because life constantly brings major changes that require downsizing or relocating, homes are bought and sold year-round.

2. There is Less Competition for Buyers

Less competition is a good thing! And it’s a great reason to sell your home now instead of waiting to sell it in the spring. When there are fewer buyers, the competition for properties lowers. When there are fewer homes for sale, there are fewer for buyers to look through. Less competition increases the likelihood of buyers walking through your home, you receiving an offer, and you getting the maximum amount of money for your home, too.

3. Mortgage Rates Are Low

When mortgage rates are low, buyers are able to purchase homes that cost more. Even a slight increase in mortgage rates can push a monthly mortgage payment beyond what a buyer can afford. Also, when mortgage rates increase, sellers are usually faced with lowering their asking price in order to sell their home. Waiting to list your home in the spring runs the risk of mortgage rate increases during the fall and winter. This means less demand for your home which means less money for you. Don’t wait until spring. Take advantage of lower mortgage rates by selling your home now.

4. There are Fewer Real Estate Transactions

When the real estate season is at its peak in the spring, there will be more real estate transactions taking place. During the fall and winter season, when there are fewer real estate transactions, mortgage lenders have fewer loans, attorneys have fewer closings, and home inspectors have fewer inspections. Fewer real estate transactions mean quicker loan transactions and closings for everyone and less stress for you!

5. You get to Stage your Home for the Holiday Season

This may not seem like a great reason for selling your home now, but for some buyers, it really could be. Many know that staging a home sells a home. It certainly helps more than it ever hinders! The reason for staging a home is to help potential buyers envision themselves living in the home. Some buyers can’t envision themselves in any place staged or not. But others can be sold on a home because it smells warm, inviting, and homey. Staging a home with just a little seasonal décor can go a long way with some potential buyers, and you get to enjoy the seasonal festivities a little as well.

6. Real Estate Agents are Even More Willing to Go the Extra Mile

Since real estate agents are busiest in the spring and summer, it makes sense that they are not as busy in the fall and winter. And because they have more time on their hands, they have more time to devote to helping you list, sell, and close your home quickly.

Charles D’Alessandro knows now is a good time to be selling your home. He is always up for the challenge of adapting to the slower real estate season and marketing his listings to reflect this for you. Contact Charles D’Alessandro, your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate, at (718) 253-9700 ext. 206 or click here for suggestions and tips on selling your Brooklyn home now.

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Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]

September is here! For most of us, this means the end of the dog days of summer, the wearing of warm sweaters, and pumpkin spice everything! Temperatures are starting to cool off here in Brooklyn and our thoughts are turning to warm hues, the raking of leaves, and bright orange pumpkins. But before the leaves begin to fall, I encourage you to look further ahead to the cold weather that always follows autumn. Tackle fall home maintenance now and prepare your home for another cold Brooklyn winter hits.

A Dozen Fall Home Maintenance Tasks to Complete Now

Take these next two weekends to complete the following fall home maintenance tasks around your Brooklyn home. Why? It could save you from costly repairs down the road when it’s really cold outside.

1. Clean out gutters

When leaves fall and rainy, snowy days become more frequent, it’s best to have your gutters clean and in working order. Gutters should be free of debris and clogs before winter arrives. Ideally, the best time to clean out gutters is right after the trees lose their leaves. And since we’re on the subject of gutters, have you considered installing downspout extensions? This would be a great time to install those!

2. Clean and repair siding

Over the summer months, the siding of your Brooklyn home can get pretty dirty, grimy, and even moldy. Get a power washer and remove all that nasty stuff. And check for damage. Look for cracking, rotting, and warping that needs to be repaired before winter sets in. Inspect the caulking, too. Has it shrunk or cracked over time? If so, replace it.

3. Check door and window seals

Before the weather turns cold, make sure windows and doors seal tightly and find the places where air may leak. You want your warm air staying inside and winter’s cold air staying outside. Where there are leaks, there is loss of energy. Use caulk or weather stripping to seal any leaks you find.

By the way, if you have double- or triple-pane windows that are frequently foggy, you probably have a failed seal.

4. Inspect your HVAC

Before you turn on the heat, hire a quality HVAC professional to inspect your HVAC system. Don’t wait until it’s cold outside. HVAC specialists are busy when it’s hot and when it’s cold, and they are usually booked far in advance. Call them now and schedule a tuneup for your HVAC system. They will check the thermostat, blower motor, and heat exchanger to make sure they are working properly. They will also fix loose electrical connections and gas connections.

5. Clean the chimney

If your home has a functional fireplace, clean the chimney before the temperatures fall. Soot builds up in your chimney and puts you at risk of a chimney fire. Clogged chimneys also increase the risk of carbon monoxide in the home. Be safe. Don’t enjoy a cozy fire until after the chimney has been cleaned.

6. Check for cracks and loose paver material in walkways

Cracks and loose paver material in walkways and entryway areas should be fixed before icy weather causes an accident. Small cracks can be fixed with epoxy and don’t take long to fix. Serious cracking will require a professional.

7. Repair leaky faucets

Repair leaky faucets in the kitchen, bathrooms, and utility room. It costs considerably less to fix leaky pipes now rather than later. A broken pipe in the winter is costly to repair and can cause a lot of property damage.

8. Service the yard equipment

The best time to service your lawn mower and trimmer is in the fall before you put it to rest during the winter. Dirty components and old oil are harmful to your summer yard equipment. Change the oil, air and gas filters, and install new blades if needed. Don’t drain the gas tank completely though. Fill the tank with a mix of premium gasoline without ethanol and a gas preservative just before you put it in storage.

9. Store garden hoses and turn off outdoor spigots

A hard freeze can cause hoses to burst and outdoor pipes to freeze. You won’t be using any of these things this winter, so insulate each spigot and detach and store the garden hoses. A headache avoided.

10. Check all outdoor cords

All outdoor extension cords should be checked for potentially dangerous nicks or frays. Nicked or frayed cords should be thrown away. Extension cords in good condition should be neatly stored in the garage or basement.

11. Clean the range hood filter

Now here’s a super easy fall home maintenance task! Just throw your range hood filter in the dishwasher. When the dishwasher stops, the filter will be as good as new.

12. Check the toilets

To find out whether or not your toilets leak, put some food coloring in the toilet tanks. If the water in the toilet bowls changes color without flushing, your toilets are leaking. New flappers or seals will put an end to this money problem.

Want even more fall home maintenance tasks and tips? Call Charles D’Alessandro Your Brooklyn real estate agent with Fillmore Real Estate at (718) 253-9600 ext. 206 or email [email protected] for more great home maintenance information as well as answers to your questions about buying or selling your home in Brooklyn this fall!

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Charles D’Alessandro

Your Brooklyn Real Estate Agent with Fillmore Real Estate

718-253-9600 ext. 206

[email protected]