The Sandberg Team @ Ponte Vedra Key Realty
Real Estate Sales & Service in Nocatee, Ponte Vedra & Jacksonville, Florida
Obviously, the housing market remains volatile in the face of the pandemic. While most of the numbers aren’t ringing any specific alarm bells just now, there are others that we’d be wise to keep an eye on.
Steady as She Goes
From a macro level, March numbers look fairly steady, with number of closed sales up just slightly, and inventory remaining tight. On the upside, median sales price is also up.
Starting today, Florida will officially be under a stay-at-home order. Like other states with similar restrictions, we’ll be able to get out for essential activities such as grocery shopping and the like. But otherwise, we’ll be homebound, in efforts to flatten the curve.
What does that mean for real estate?
Residential real estate is considered an essential business in Florida. So real estate agents, like us, are able to continue working to help home buyers and sellers. And while business will carry on, it will be anything but “usual”. And that’s OK.
We plan on continuing to serve customers, safely and responsibly. To do that, we’ll adhere to one simple guideline:
Maximize the use of virtual tools wherever, whenever and however possible.
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The coronavirus is having a big impact on real estate–and every other industry–around the world. What’s happening locally, here in northeast Florida? Let’s take a look at a few current data points that help tell the story.
Suspending Open Houses
realMLS, our local Multiple Listing Service (MLS) here in northeast Florida, is temporarily disabling the Open House feature in our MLS system. This means open houses will not be officially marketed via MLS, nor will they automatically appear on syndicated websites such as Zillow, Realtor.com, this website and the like.
The coronavirus has given us all a stark new reality, for a while, at least. And while we’re all hunkered down working from home and avoiding any unnecessary errands/travel, what do you do if you need to buy a home in the near future?
Search for homes with virtual tours.
Not just any virtual tour, however. Many of the tours you’ll see online are simply slide shows of still photos, with a zooming and panning effect applied. Some tours, however, are more immersive in nature, providing a 360º view of rooms in the home, as well as “hot spots” you can click on to take you to the next room…a great way to get a feel for the flow of a home.
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First impressions are incredibly important in real estate (and everywhere else, actually). Home sellers should strive to make potential buyers feel welcome, comfortable and able to picture themselves living in the home.
How do you do that? Start by taking a careful look at your home through the eyes of a potential buyer. What jumps out at you first? Is there anything that could be a turn off, or signal potential problems? By going through each room in your home with this type of critical eye, you’ll be well on your way to creating a “picture perfect” environment for potential buyers (important, as photos are often a buyer’s first introduction to your home).
With all that said, what are some things you can do immediately to make your home more appealing to buyers? Let’s take a look:
Get the Pets Under Control
This means tackling 3 key areas: odors, clutter and containment.