7 Reasons to List Your House This Holiday Season
Around this time each year, many homeowners decide to wait until after the holidays to list their houses. Similarly, others who already have their homes on the market remove their listings until the spring. Let’s unpack the top reasons why listing your house now or keeping it on the market this winter may be the best choice you can make.
Here are seven great reasons not to wait:
- Relocation buyers are out there now. Many companies are still hiring throughout the holidays, and they need their new employees to start as soon as possible.
- Purchasers who are looking for homes during the holidays are serious buyers and are ready to buy now.
- You can restrict the showings on your home to days and times that are most convenient for you. You will remain in control.
- Homes show better when decorated for the holidays.
- There is minimal competition for you as a seller right now. Over the past few months we’ve seen the supply of homes for sale decreasing year-over-year, as shown in the graph below:
- The desire to own a home doesn’t stop during the holidays. Buyers who were unable to find their dream homes during the busy spring and summer months are still searching, and your home may be the answer.
- Late fall and early winter make up the “sweet spot” for sellers. The supply of listings increases substantially after the holidays. Also, in many parts of the country, new construction will continue to surge and reach new heights in 2020, which will lessen the demand for your house next year.
Bottom Line
It may make the most sense to list your home this holiday season. Let’s get together to determine if selling now is your best move.
Homeowners See Big Gains On Home Sales
Home prices have been climbing for the past few years. And while that has presented affordability challenges for buyers in some markets, it’s also produced big gains for homeowners who’ve sold a home recently. Take, for example, new estimates showing that, nationally, the typical home seller, after living somewhere for eight years, made nearly $40,000 on their home sale. That’s good news for homeowners. And, in some markets, the sales gain is even higher. Homeowners in the Dallas-Fort Worth area saw a median sales gain of $56,297 after just 7.4 years and, in San Jose, sellers’ median price gain was nearly $300,000. But while that may be encouraging for anyone who hopes to sell soon, there is a flip side. Because many home sellers hope to use any money they make on their home sale as a down payment for their next home, the amount gained on a sale may not seem as significant, especially if you’re buying a home in the same market and price range. More here.
Get a Head Start on Planning Your Garden, Even if It’s Snowing
New Year’s Eve Events in Savannah
NEW YEAR’S EVE 2017
– Holiday Evening Tours by Candlelight, December 26-30 2017
Candlelit tours of the Davenport House Museum, focused on historical seasonal celebrations. Ticket purchase required, reservations recommended. More details
– Up the Cup New Year’s Eve Celebration, December 31 2017
Annual New Year’s celebration on River Street with light show and fireworks. Free event. More details
– City Market New Year’s Eve, December 31 2017
Annual New Year’s celebration at City Market, with live music. More details
– (Tybee Island) Tybee New Year’s Eve Fireworks, December 31 2017
One of the South’s biggest fireworks displays, at the Tybee Island Pier. More details
– A Wild Night On Ossabaw, December 31 2017-January 1 2018
Overnight New Year’s Eve visit to Ossabaw Island, with interpretive tour, hog roast and other activities. Transportation to the island (from Skidaway) included. From $150 per person, advance reservations strongly recommended. More details
These Savannah Spots Have the Most Festive Decor
There’s something magical about Savannah during the holiday season! Dazzling lights, festive décor and Christmas cheer fill the city from top to bottom. If you can’t get enough of Christmas-themed décor, events and spirit, you’ve got to check out these jolly Savannah spots.
City Market
Savannah’s spirit becomes even more exquisite during the holiday season, and City Market is no exception. Stroll beneath holiday lights, taste sweet treats in City Market shops and find the perfect gifts for your loved ones, all while being serenaded by Christmas carolers.
There are also plenty of events to look forward to during City Market’s holiday season. Children will have the chance to make ornaments, decorate cookies and get Grinched (a tradition of Grinch-inspired hair and makeup!). Kids of all ages can also meet Father Christmas and take a Cinderella carriage tour. All this plus face painting, choir music and more add up to a day of fun the whole family can truly enjoy. Look at City Market’s calendar to learn more.
The Forsyth Park Fountain is certainly beautiful year-round, but it’s even more dazzling at Christmastime. Festive wreaths, bright bows and garland frame the already picturesque fountain. During the holiday season, the Forsyth Park fountain often becomes the location for family Christmas cards and engagement photos. It’s a Christmas lover’s dream come true!
Broughton Street
At Christmastime, the shops, boutiques and restaurants along Broughton Street decorate inside and out. Bright, sparkling lights are streamed from building to building all along Broughton Street creating a picture-perfect backdrop for holiday shoppers.
The festive season, called “Holidays on Broughton,” also offers seasonal events for all ages and interests. From the return of a beloved children’s toy store in a pop-up experience to photos with Santa and musical performances, eventgoers can count on an experience that will prove magical year after year.
Throughout the whimsical holiday event, many of the unique and eclectic shops along Broughton Street will offer extended hours of operation and holiday shopping incentives. It’s surely the most wonderful time of the year on Broughton Street!
By:Larissa Allen
Parker Scott Properties Weekend Guide
WEEKEND OF DECEMBER 2-3 2017</h2
– A Christmas Tradition, November 23-December 24 2017
2-hour annual Christmas-themed, family-oriented performance at the Savannah Theatre, with shows available Tuesday-Sunday. Adults $37, children (under 18) $18. More details
– Savannah Harbor Holiday Series, November 24-December 24 2017
Family-friendly outdoor seasonal programming at the Westin Hotel on Hutchinson Island, with Gingerbread Village display in the hotel’s lobby. More details
– Holiday Sights Tour, November 24-December 24 2017
Old Town Trolley’s seasonal tour, which includes stops at the Davenport House Museum and the Westin Hotel’s Gingerbread Village on Hutchinson Island. Adults $28.50, children (4-12) $16. More details
– December Nights & Holiday Lights, November 25-December 24 2017
Self-guided walking tours of the Coastal Georgia Botanical Gardens’ annual holiday lights show, with more than a million lights. Admission is charged. Event does not run on rainy evenings. More details
– City Market Holiday Open House, December 1 2017
Holiday lights, caroling and evening opening at City Market. More details
– (Tybee Island) Lights On For Tybee, December 1 2017
Holiday celebration and tree-lighting ceremony at the Tybee Island roundabout, with music and refreshments. More details
– Christmas on the River, December 1-3 2017
Seasonal arts and crafts festival with music and other entertainment, including the annual Lighted Christmas Parade. Free event. More details
– City Market Christmas For Kids Celebration, December 2 2017
Child-oriented Christmas event at City Market, with visits to Santa, crafts, music and other entertainments. More details
– (Tybee Island) A Lighthouse Christmas, December 2, 9 and 16 2018
Special evening holiday event at the Tybee Island Lighthouse exploring the holiday traditions of Tybee’s lighthouse keepers in the 1930s and 1940s, with carols, cider, and the opportunity to climb the tower to see Tybee’s holiday lights from above. Adults $15, children (5-17) $10, young children free. Advance reservations are required, call 912-786-5801. More details
– (Tybee Island) Tybee Island Christmas Parade, December 2 2017
Holiday parade on Tybee Island, with visits to Santa. More details
– Oyster Roast for a Reason, December 2 2017
Fundraising oyster roast on Skidaway Island, to benefit the ongoing efforts to revive Georgia’s historic oyster farming industry. $50 per person. More details