Window of Opportunity for Turkeys and Real Estate

In a week the spring turkey hunting season begins in Wisconsin. Big flocks of turkeys are still grouped up in fields all over Dane County--but they're not all of the fields. Spring has sprung and the Toms are busy with being Toms, and the first time turkeys, the Jakes, are exploring their options. The excitement will peak in the next few weeks, the run its course by the end of May. Amazing how that bird-animal behavior is mirrored in us humans with respect to real estate. Spring is the window of opportunity, and the window closes when the urgency runs its course.

Like the strutting Tom, time is not on our side if we want to attract the most enthusiastic buyers. The strongest natural elements that drive a person to want to own a home run their course by the end of May and surely by the end of June. Summer in Wisconsin is the four-five weeks of July and running around chasing the sun and fun takes precedence over shelter in our summers.

To get done what we have to do with respect to selling our homes, today is the day we have to take the first step and it might be wise to get going. And, where are we going? There are as many ways to go about the selling process and it makes sense to me that I pick a direction and a method of traveling, and commit to it. Anything else is trial and error, and I'd like to think I've done enough of both to be comfortable with a plan.

Followers of this blog know that I believe:

Price is critical. All homes have a right price and a lot of wrong prices. We are instinctual animals. We know what's right and maybe it's our ability to rationalize that leads us down the trial and error path.

Stage the house. If we prepare our homes for our parent's or friend's visits, we prepare to impress them about ourselves. Staging prepares the house to have the home, not the occupant, appeal to and impress a consumer. Big difference  and very important.

Update and Repair. Buyer's aren't going to go for homes that need updating and repairs--regardless how small. You aren't getting your investment back either. Look at it this way. If you had replaced the green and blue toilet and sinks and carpet when the style changed your home would be up to date, and you would have had the pleasure of being in style to impress the Grandparents. You only missed that opportunity--you still have the expense. Leave it up to the buyer and you won't have a buyer. If you don't believe me, I wish you the best and hope you prove me wrong. But, I'll be here with the same opinion later---the buyers will be gone and your value will be much lower in August, and the work will still need to be done.

Range Price. You can wait for the one buyer who is smart enough to have the income and savings to qualify for the mortgage necessary to buy your home, but not smart enough to know the market or care about the implications of recent sales in your neighborhood. I have met only a few of those people since 1989---none recently. Range pricing won't inspire anyone to be illogical, but it will bring more people to the door and create some competition where none exists. Competition from qualified buyers will push offers to their best terms.

Know What's Happening in Your Neighborhood. Real estate markets are hyper-local. I care what's happening in Timbuktu, but your neighborhood can rise or fall below the Wisconsin trend, and surely differ from the national statistics.

The turkey animals and human animals are going to move and commit this spring. Today is the day to know where they are going and be there ready to impress. Hen and hunter know the key to success has everything to do with going with what works.