The main "moving" season starts around March and usually wraps up around the time school starts in September. Buyers and sellers tend to settle in for the holidays.

However, this year there appears to be a second wave on the horizon. Buyers motivated by lower interest rates and programs are still shopping, and I'm getting a number of new listings.

Waiting until spring to list your home usually brings more competition with other new listings. There's something about the holiday season that tends to motivate buyers. So while it may be difficult to keep your house tidy over the holidays and juggle family events, make the most of Christmas decor and lighting in "staging" your home with holiday cheer. Think about listing your home now and take advantage of wave two!

My house has been on the market for 5 months without any offers. I have held open houses and people have come through. I’m afraid that I will lose money I can’t afford to lose by hiring a real estate agent. Do you have any suggestions?

In a seller’s market FSBO (For Sale By Owner) homes may move quickly, but right now buyers have a lot of selection based on changing supply vs. demand. It takes on average 30 to 60 days to sell a competitively-priced home.

Your home should be on MLS and well represented with photos and a virtual tour. If it’s not, then you may be losing 80% of potential buyers based off current statistics. Most people who buy see the home online first and then decide to visit.

Many factors could affect the length you’ve waited for an offer, but in 30 years of real estate the most common factor is price. If you are not priced aggressively your home will sit and help others sell theirs faster.

Having a neutral third-party or professional stager decorate and declutter can change the atmosphere of your home dramatically. It could be a facelift is in order to appeal to the demographics shopping in your neighborhood.

I could go on, but after five months you do need to make a reassessment of the market and check out your competition. Also keep in mind that if you are not offering a commission to a buyer’s agent, you need to. And, evaluate your budget and carrying costs. If you sell your home for $500,000 after six months but you’ve had to pay $15K in mortgage during those six months….well, there’s that commission you saved…..

Is there any way to check out a real estate agent and see if they have a good track record?

Past clients who have had positive experiences and a smooth transaction are vital! When you interview an agent, ask for some personal and professional references from clients they’ve worked with recently and years in the past. Most real estate agents can provide you with written recommendations, but ask for some phone numbers or email addresses so you can conduct your own investigation.

You can also check the agent’s license status online via the DRE. Go to www.dre.ca.gov and click on the License Status Check.

A private website that some agents subscribe to is www.qualityservice.org. You can search to see if your prospective real estate agent has a 5-star review, and read comments and surveys that past clients submitted to QSC.

To continue on the idea of investing in a home, whether it's a rental, first or second home, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Location

You’ve heard it before, “Location, location, location!” No matter how upgraded the property may be or how elaborate the Italian tile, if the home backs up to a busy interstate or apartment complex, or is the only upgraded home on the block, you may have a difficult time renting or selling the home.

Finding a fixer or livable home that just needs some TLC is one thing, but it can be a diamond in the rough if it's the roughest-looking home on the block. If you are good at decorating and deferred maintenance, a home to live in and update over a 3 to 7 year period–that is in a desirable neighborhood–is a good opportunity at the right price.

Always weigh the pros and cons. Home buying can be very emotional, especially if it's your first purchase, and anxious buyers can overlook important details.

Thank you for visiting. This blog has just been launched to help and assist people who want to know more about the real estate industry—particularly those located in the Bay Area market. We will address current market trends and projections, ideas to get your home ready to sell, what to look for when you’re refinancing, and what steps to take to prepare you for homeownership, managing rental property, and more.

Looking for and researching real estate or property management companies can be a very painful and tedious process and with our blog, we hope to relieve some of the anxiety and provide you with an additional, unbiased source of information to help make your decisions easier, faster, and less stressful.

If you have a real-estate-related question, ask us! We’d be happy to answer your question! With a combined 35+ years of experience in real estate, chances are, we can help!

Stop by anytime!