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Image courtesy of _neurotik

The holiday season is here, and fewer people are listing their homes for sale, as they prepare to entertain family and friends, get caught up with a hundred and one Christmas chores, travel, or just take a much-awaited hiatus; or else they think buyers are too preoccupied, unavailable, or unwilling to brave the snow. But someone told me recently to give him 3 good reasons why he should sell his house over the holidays. I’ll do better than that – I’ll share 11 reasons why!

 1. People who look for a home during the holidays are more serious buyers.

Most home buyers shop around in the spring when most sellers put their house on the market. But if someone takes the time and the effort to look at your house over the holidays, he really needs to buy soon. For you, the seller, that’s gold. So listing your house at this time lets you catch the best buyers and save your own time and energy in selling your house by eliminating buyers who are “just looking around” or aren’t in a hurry.

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the holidays.

By selling your house over the holidays, you’ll not only get serious buyers, but you’ll also find it easier to sell to them because there’s less competition.

3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in the spring, there will be less demand for your particular home then.

You’ve heard the old adage: “The early bird catches the worm.” You can up your chances of selling your home if you get a headstart in the market. You just may catch the early buyers, who want to get a headstart themselves in looking at homes.

4. Houses show better when decorated for the holidays.

Homes are preened and lit up during the holidays, so they’ll look better at less cost to you and will thus be easier to sell.

5. Buyers are more emotional during the holidays, so are easier to please.

Buyers may be drawn to your house just because it reminds them of their childhood home at Christmas and all the good times they had there, or they may just be generally in a better mood that makes them easier to talk to.

 6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than they do during a working week.

Not all people are busy at Christmas, and those who really need to buy a house soon can find the extra time now to look at what’s on the market.

7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons.

There are people who are determined to buy at year-end so that they could deduct the property taxes, mortgage interest, and loan points from their tax return that year.

8. January is traditionally the month when employees start in their new jobs.

Many people start the year with brand new jobs for which they have to relocate, which they do over the holidays.

 9. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings for six or seven days during the holidays.

You need not be available for home showings the whole time over the holidays. You can arrange to take a break over Christmas and New Year week, when you and home buyers would most likely be busiest.

10. You can sell now and arrange for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year.

If you don’t want to sell your home over the holidays because you won’t be able to move at Christmas, take heart because you can sell your home now and come to an agreement with the buyer to set the occupancy date at up to 120 days later.

11. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money.

 You can time your purchase of that new home that you’ll be moving to in the spring, when there are more houses to choose from and prices are more competitive, if you sell your home now.

These should give you more than enough reasons to decide to sell your house over the holidays. If you decide to sell, better act fast. But if you just want to take it slow and have all the fun you can get this Christmas, you won’t be making a bad decision at all. Whichever way you go, have a merry Christmas!

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Image courtesy of top10things

It’s a month before Christmas! In case you are still looking for the gift to give the menfolk in your life, I’d stick my neck out and say don’t spend too much time on it. It’s easy to find thoughtful gifts. I love getting clothing accessories. As a Realtor, I like to look my best always, top to bottom. I once read this story of a couple who were meeting a prospective agent, when they looked down and noticed a hole in his sock, they were turned off and chose another agent! It’s a good thing I like nice socks. I have at least 24 pairs now! I love socks that are comfortable and keep my feet warm, like smart wool socks. Ties, good quality leather belts, and skin care products are always appreciated.

Other great Christmas gifts I’ve received are sports accessories. My family once gave me an aero bike helmet!  It’s my good-luck charm when I’m in a race. Many men enjoy sports, having the right equipment makes all sports more enjoyable. Find out what might improve the sporting experience for  the men on your list.

Men who travel a lot may enjoy travel-related gifts. Toys for the big boys are great ideas; electronic gadgets, car accessories, tools for tinkering around at home. If you are gifting someone special and want something unique and personal, go ahead and make it sentimental. A poster or card with a collage of your great photos together would mean a lot to any man!

Are you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

Shirley and I are touring the small beach resort town of Bucerias in Mexico on our bikes and having a blast. (It’s our anniversary treat and my gift to myself on my birthday.) She welcomes this time to ourselves as she’s already been working hard to prepare her music students at the Central Memorial High School Centre for Performing and Visual Arts in Altadore for their Christmas choir concert on December 17 at McDougall United Church.

Shirley is Director of the school’s Strings Program and she’s proud of it because there aren’t many such programs in public schools across Calgary.

And I’m proud of her because of her commitment to make her teen students’ music dreams come true or at least to help shape their characters through music.

Here’s the thing; in years past, she’s asked me to help them promote their concerts but I kept turning her down, using my convenient excuse that “I’m busy.” And it was 100% true, but it may be that my age is turning my heart to mush, or that the air atop the Sierra Madre Mountains here in Mexico has cast a spell on me. All I know is that this year, I’m stepping up to the plate and finally helping Shirley sell tickets to their Christmas concert!

It should be a great concert. First, they’re practicing like there’s no tomorrow. And second, they’re a pretty talented and passionate bunch backed by a school that’s been offering music programs for the past 40 years. In fact they’ve been bringing home golds and top ratings in regional, national and international competitions like the Provincial Choir Festival, Calgary Kiwanis Festival, Alberta Choralfest, Alberta Music Festival and Alberta International Band Festival, just to name a few.

Add to that that my wife is hardly a newbie – she’s a cellist with the Calgary Civic Orchestra, Symphony of the Kootenays, and several chamber ensembles in Calgary, and she’s been teaching music for 22 years, the last nine at Central Memorial High. (Sadly for her, I can’t carry a tune!)

Writing this is making me actually look forward to watching the concert. I can already hear the students filing the air with beautiful Christmas music that could lift any heart — especially after the year we’ve had in Calgary. After the concert, you could cap off the evening by taking a nice stroll at the park under the stars. As for me, I’ll be back at the concert hall with Shirley and her students packing up all the instruments…. I admire all the hard work and dedication that goes into making concerts like these effortless.

You can get tickets to the concert online at the PVA website or you can get in touch with me. You won’t be disappointed. Hope to see you there!

Are you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About the Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.

The holidays is a great time to sell (photo courtesy of davedehetre)

The Christmas season is here, and people typically take a break from buying or selling real estate at this time with all the distractions of the holidays. But I always tell sellers this is actually a great time to sell, mainly because there’s less competition. Now if you’re a buyer and you either need to move this season for a new job after the holidays or just want to take advantage of the lower prices and your free time, you surely have a good idea already as to what to look for in your home. If not, you may want to check out my house-hunting guide. But let me just quickly caution you on what to watch out for when buying a house over the holidays, so you won’t end up regretting your purchase after all the Christmas cheer.

Don’t Let Your Emotions Get the Better of You.

It’s easy to see everything with rose-colored glasses during this happy season, so it’s more important than ever to focus on the basics. Those basics are a good location and amenities, plus the house features you’ll need. It’s easy to think, though, that at this busy time, any place is a good place, with all the lively activity going on. So investigate more closely on the real score when all the bustle of the season dies down. Three good things to note at this time, though, are the community spirit, how bad the traffic goes, and whether or not the crime rate goes up and if it does, how the residents are protected.

Look Beneath the Trimmings and the Snow.

Some sellers choose to sell over the holidays because it’s easier to stage a home then with all nice and colorful Christmas decors, and where there’s a white Christmas, it’s easier to hide imperfections with the thick layer of snow. So if you’re the buyer, you might need to have X-ray vision, or the ability to make sure you can strip down a house in your mind to its barest. Don’t hesitate to ask the seller if you can look beneath the trimmings – it’s your right as the buyer – and to ask to see any pictures of the house before it was decorated for the holidays. You may also want to ask for your agent’s help to negotiate a home warranty with your seller to protect yourself from unexpected defects after the sale. And just because it’s Christmas doesn’t mean you have to forego the home inspection; it could be your best bet for a peaceful new year. I’ve been dealing with Joel Rollefstad’s Canadian Residential Inspection Services for a long time now; they have a good, professional team and they could generate an impressive home inspection report on-site.

Don’t Set Your Expectations Too High.

This may be good advice for setting your new year goals, but it’s just as good advice for buying a house over the holidays, if only because you won’t have a lot of inventory to choose from. But that’s not to say that finding your dream home over the holidays can’t happen; remember that the best gifts can come in the most unlikely packages. And if you’re willing to balance your home expectations with your desire for a bargain price, this is the best time to act; who knows, some low-cost repairs may yet transform your steal of a house into a customized home that could be your best gift ever for the new year!

Are  you looking to Sell or Buy a home in Calgary and need someone who won’t rest until you’ve found your dream home or until your home is sold? I’ll work hard to earn your trust and to deliver exactly what you need. Contact me at 403-589-0004 or at TheHowardTeam.net.

About Bryon Howard

Bryon Howard and his team of Calgary real estate professionals sell an average of two homes a week. He is a member of the MLS Million Point Club, which ranks him roughly in the top 2% of productive realtors in Calgary. His aim is not just to please clients but to help them buy/sell a home in Calgary at the best price, in the shortest time, and with the least hassle. He is a member of the RE/MAX House of Real Estate that leads in the Canadian market. Learn more about Bryon at TheHowardTeam.net.