Home Seller Predictions 2017

Home Seller Predictions 2017

Home Seller Predictions 2017 brought to you by Sally English, Associate Broker, Realty Associates of Atlanta. Sally English and the English Team specialize in homes and neighborhoods convenient to Emory University and The CDC.
Home sellers are about to enter the strongest seller market in 10 years. Demand for housing is strong as we enter 2017. Anxieties about the economy have been put aside post election and employment figures are way down. Families are more confident about about their economic future and want to improve their housing. All these factors point towards a strong sellers market – at least for the first half of 2017.

Here are my home seller predictions 2017:

• There will be an increase in the value of existing homes in the first half of 2017.
• Home sellers who list their homes for sale in January through March will face less competition from other home sellers. Inventory is low as of December of 2017 and pent up demand for housing will snap up listings almost as soon as they hit the market in the first quarter of 2017.
• Home sellers who list their homes for sale in April through June will find increased competition from other home sellers. As home owners see neighboring homes get snapped up in the marketplace by quick sales they will want to get in on the action.
• Home values will continue to increase in the first half of 2017. Low market inventory in combination with increased buyer demand will result in inflation of values for home owners. Home prices are going up!
• The housing market in the second half of 2017 is largely dependent on the economic policies of the Trump administration. If mortgage interest rates continue to rise that could dampen the housing market in the second half of 2017. The Federal Reserve Bank will continue to walk a tightrope as they try to control an overheating National economy.
• Home sellers who have renovated their homes originally built in the 1960s-1980s will get top dollar for their homes. New kitchens and new baths – maxing out market value.
• It is going to be tough to find a good remodeling contractor in 2017. Heck it may be tough to find a handyman in 2017. Everybody will want to do some home improvement in 2017 as they have a few extra dollars in their pocket from an improving economy.
• Home sellers with savvy real estate agents will max out the top end of the market as marketing will rule when Millenials (born 1980s-1990s) go house hunting. Millenials are buying the “perception” of a new home even if the home was originally built in the 1960s. Listen to your real estate agent if they suggest some cosmetic changes. Millenials are not looking under the hood. They don’t see your 15 year old furnace – they see your Nest thermostat.
• If President Trump successfully reduces the capital gains tax then all H*LL will break loose on the investment side of real estate. Any home under $250,000 in my market will be subject to purchase by an investor (look for my buyer predictions in the next post).
• Predictive analysis will help savvy real estate agents target home sellers through social media.
• Predictive analysis will help the same savvy real estate agents find a buyer for the same home seller the agent found through predictive analysis. This means many of the best homes will never be listed in the MLS before they are bought and sold. You have to work with local agents who know your real estate market for this to work to your advantage if you are a home seller.

Call or text Sally English, 404-229-2995 if you want to be a home seller in 2017.