"Door County Real Estate" by: Kevin Nordahl, REALTOR®
Best time to buy and sell real estate
Ah, autumn. Her winds have shucked the foliage off our trees’ summer canopies. Many of our favorite restaurants have closed their doors for the winter and the hotels now prominently display their vacancy signs. It seems like everyone has just gone away. So when is a good time to buy or sell real estate?
Many would presume to wait until spring. But believe it or not, the winter months are actually pretty active times for our market. That is because more and more business are staying open year-round and people are enjoying their second homes on a more regular basis. There are fewer seasonal cottages being built these days. In fact many of the newer homes have dial-up HVAC systems installed. Leave the city on a Friday afternoon. Get on the cell phone. Call your cottage thermostat. Punch a few numbers and the heat is up to 70 degrees when you roll into your Door County driveway a couple of hours later. Such luxuries are a sign of changing times in our heretofore “seasonal” real estate world.
Yes, traffic to open houses and drive-by calls on signs is heavier in the summer but that is just because there are more people here to run-up the odds of those activities taking place. Consider this about winter buyers: buyers contacting REALTORS® over the winter months are automatically classified in the “more serious” category of buyer. That is because they are not as likely to be standing out in front of a home or strolling the street and walking into an open house on a whim. More often they have been coming to Door County for years and years and have finally come to the decision to purchase. Real estate is a year-round business and savvy buyers know it.
The Door County Multiple Listing Service sales results for each quarter are posted at http://www.dcbr.org/ci.cfm. According to 2002 sales figures the fourth quarter was 59% more active than the first quarter. What is not listed online is that a home listed in the spring had nearly the same average market time as a home listed in the fall. The cyclical nature of real estate in our market is driven by the popular sentiment that we only have one season here, the busy season. Internet traffic on real estate websites actually sees a dramatic increase over the winter months. Some may call that busy.
What we more typically hear from buyers is they want to be in Door County when the blossoms are blooming, not necessarily looking for houses for the first time. Additionally, many buyers fall in love with our Autumn season, make the decision to purchase at that time and then spend the winter looking for the right place. This is because they are of the belief that spring will bring a slew of new listings. Not too surprisingly that is true. If conventional thought is cramping your style try living for the moment and give the winter market a chance. You may be surprised at the results. It might be you looking for a new start come spring.
CORRECTION: Last issue it was brought to my attention that the Door County Courthouse web map address was incorrect. Here is the correct address… http://map.co.door.wi.us/gis-lio-page/index.htm.
Kevin Nordahl is a life-long resident of Door County, a REALTOR® and a member of the Door County MLS. He is active President of the Door County Board of REALTORS® and has been a Sales Consultant at Coldwell Banker Door County Horizons in Fish Creek since 1996. He may be reached online at www.doorcountyrealestate.com or by phone at (920) 493-4004.
Kevin Nordahl is a life-long resident of Door County, a REALTOR® and a member of the Door County MLS. He is active President of the Door County Board of REALTORS® and has been a Sales Consultant at Coldwell Banker Door County Horizons in Fish Creek since 1996. He may be reached online at www.doorcountyrealestate.com or by phone at (920) 493-4004.