Dear Darrell:
I hear the city shuts down in August and there is no point in trying to sell my house then. I don’t want to miss a possible buyer, but I also don’t want the hassle of open houses, etc. if no one is going to be looking. What’s the best time of year to sell?
— Lloyd L., Woodley Park
Dear Lloyd:
As with most things, it depends. It is questions like yours that make me long for a different personality, one which was certain of everything. So I could just say, “Don’t put your house on the market in August. The city is dead then.” But being who I am, I don’t see this as an either/or question. Yes, the market is traditionally slower in August, and people are traditionally away on vacation, and it is traditionally hot and humid.
However, when is the last time anyone found the current world traditional or predictable? It isn’t! And neither is the real estate market. There are plenty of potential buyers who don’t go away in August, maybe because they are saving their money, or are gearing up for the fall, or any one of a myriad of reasons.
The old real estate adage, “it only takes one buyer,” is never better applied than in this situation. No one knows when that one buyer will come along. There is one thing for certain, however: if your house is not for sale in August, no one will make an offer on it in August.
What it boils down to is how you feel about the process of having your house on the market. If it really stresses you out, and you aren’t in any rush, then you can afford to wait. But if you really want to sell, I encourage you to meet with your realtor and come up with a plan which will allow you to have your house on the market without stress. For instance, you don’t have to have open houses. If your house is being marketed through the usual channels, your realtor will get to the potential buyers. And when a buyer wants to see your house, all you have to do is get things straightened up.
My advice is to put it on the market now and begin looking for your buyer!
Darrell Parsons is the managing broker of the Georgetown Long and Foster office and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity regulations. Have a real estate question? E-mail him at darrell@lnf.com. He blogs at georgetownrealestatenews.blogspot.com.
