Last week, right before Mother's Day, I bought a new car. I'm still getting the hang of it and feel quite proud that I drove this Tesla to see my own mom in Williamsburg over the weekend without letting the battery go dead (LOL).
The EMOTION of sitting inside of a brand new car is the VERY SAME FEELING I want all my SELLERS' HOMES to bring to prospective buyers this season, regardless of whether their home was built in 2023 or 1977.
In this newsletter, I'm including a short video with one of my most trusted vendors, Leigh Newport, who helps my sellers prepare their homes for sale. I'm also sharing local housing statistics from BRIGHT MLS & including some current listings from colleagues at my brokerage. No matter the price point, it is important to make a GREAT impression - because whoever your buyer is, they want to feel happy when they get the keys to your home. Why be ORDINARY when you can be EXTRAORDINARY???
STAGING A HOME HELPS SELLERS GET THEIR DESIRED LIST PRICE: A CONVERSATION WITH LEIGH NEWPORT, OWNER OF STAGED-BY-DESIGN
We've been experiencing diminished sales inventory and in the housing market, ever since interest rates started to rise in mid-2022. A lot of sellers I've talked with this year feel a bit reluctant to make updates/minor changes to their homes before putting their properties on the market, believing that buyers will be able to "see the value" in the home like they have. However, because of rising interest rates, buyers' purchasing power has decreased, and they are a lot more happy to make an offer on a home that looks "turn key" versus a "fixer upper".
Leigh explains in my video how simple changes can yield big results for sellers! For more information about her business, you can check out her website or simply watch the video below!
MID-ATLANTIC HOUSING MARKET OUTLOOK - LAST WEEK'S NUMBERS IN THE BRIGHT MLS SERVICE AREA (WEEK ENDING MAY 12, 2024)
Typically, the Mid-Atlantic region sees more selling and buying activity through the spring and summer months. New listings are coming in higher than new contracts, leading to growing inventory.
For the week ending May 12, there were 30,170 active listings at the end of the week, which was 16.1% more than the same week in 2023.
More active listings for buyers to view and additional new listings hasn't increased showing activity compared to 2023. Showings were 11.4% lower year-over-year last week across the Bright MLS service area. Del/Mar Coastal and the Maryland Eastern Shore were the only areas with higher showings, likely aided by their significant inventory increases of 44% and 29%, respectively.
The increase in supply hasn't impacted the timing of the sales that have occurred. For the week ending May 12, the median days to contract was 16 days, which matched the pace last year.
APRIL 2024 SALES DATA IN THE WASHINGTON, DC METRO HOUSING MARKET
Despite higher interest rates, Buyers continue to purchase, and closed sales surpassed what they were last April (+7.4%). Pending sales also improved, up 4.0%. This is the first year-over-year increase in new pending sales since February 2022.
The median price for all homes sold in the metro area was $640,000 in April 2024, hitting a new record. Median sales prices for detached homes and townhomes were both at record highs, while condo prices were slightly below the February 2024 high.
HUNT COUNTRY SOTHEBY'S INTERNATIONAL REALTY'S CURRENT LUXURY LISTINGS FOR OVER $3,000,000
Our brokerage has offices two Loudoun County locations, one in Middleburg and another in Leesburg, VA. Our agents are licensed to do business in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Delaware, and we have a great referral network of colleagues across the globe. While we pride ourselves at marketing luxury listings, we also work with clients at all price points, because above all else, excellent customer service is what matters most to us. Below are four local properties currently priced above $3M, available through our brokerage.
Of course, these are just a few of our office's most recent listings. If you want to see more pictures or learn more about them, please reach out!
Spring Wine Festival & Sunset Tour, May 17th-19th, Mount Vernon in Alexandria, $54-$60 for nonmembers | Click Here For More Details
Lucketts Spring Vintage Market, May 17th-19th, Clarke County Ruritan Fairgrounds in Berryville, $15 | Click Here For More Details
Lincoln Strawberry Festival, May 17th-19th from 6:00 PM to 5:00 PM, Purcellville, General Admission: $ 15.00 | Click Here For More Details
Strawberry Jubilee Fest, May 18th, 19th, 25th, & 26th. June 1st & 2nd from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM, Bluemont | Click Here For More Details
Old Town Festival of Speed & Style, May 19th, Old Town Alexandria, free | Click Here For More Details
Art in Nature Festival, May 25th-27th, Chantilly, $35+ (one-day pass) | Click Here For More Details
Jazz in the Garden at the National Gallery of Art, Fridays from May 31 to Aug. 9 (excluding July 5), National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., free if you win the ticket lottery | Click Here For More Details
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TRUST & SUPPORT!
Robert & Kelley, who had been online looking for a gorgeous home to buy, reached out to me at the beginning of April 2024 to see if I would serve as a buyer's agent for their VERY FIRST HOME purchase in Leesburg, VA.
Before before May 1, they got the keys to their new home.
This is a really short summary of all the hard work we put in to "win" a competitive bid and make it to the settlement table in less than one month. I LOVE it when my clients are happy and willing to do goofy poses with me at my Title Company's office. After all, if we can't have some fun while we're in the housing market... what's the point????
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