The holiday season is right around the corner, and if you’ve been thinking about selling your home, you may be wondering if now is the best time? When it comes to real estate, most people tend to favor the spring and summer months as the optimal time to buy or sell, but here in south Florida, things are vastly different.
Florida has always been a popular location for vacationers, but for more than a decade, Florida has ranked as one of the top destinations for the thousands of people fleeing blue states for red, and those wanting to take advantage of our lower taxes, job opportunities, and cost of living.
It may not seem like the most ideal time, but the holiday season certainly does have it benefits for real estate here, as we have an influx of snowbirds and out-of-towners coming our way, and the weather in the winter is some of the best year-round.
If you’re serious about selling your home and want to take advantage of the larger audience during the holiday season, here are three reasons that may convince you to put your home on the market now:
- The Buyers are Serious
Whether they need to relocate for work, are looking to take advantage of a lower cost of living, or ready to escape the cold weather for good, if buyers are serious, they will act, even during the holidays.
Serious buyers will be looking this winter, and you want to have your home prepared. You have the unique opportunity to show your home beautifully decorated for the holidays and help buyers feel like they’re already at home by creating an emotional connection.
- Homestead Exemption
The serious buyers looking to purchase a home during the holiday season will want to try and do so before the end of the year. If you own a property here, and it is your permanent residence, you may be eligible to take advantage of Florida’s homestead exemption, which reduces the tax burden on Florida homeowners.
In the state of Florida, a $25,000 exemption is applied to the first $50,000 of your property’s assessed value if your property is your permanent residence and you owned the property on January 1 of the tax year. This exemption applies to all taxes, including school district taxes.
If you want to learn more about Florida’s homestead exemption, click here to read my recent blog post: Homestead Exemption in Florida.
- Holiday Home Marketing Program
I offer one of the most powerful and comprehensive marketing programs to ensure your home is seen by serious buyers. My holiday home marketing program is designed to attract attention, showcase your home’s distinctive qualities, and help your home sell quickly. And being that it’s during the holidays and inventory is low, I will make your home stand out!
I use a proven combination of traditional and digital methods to market your home, including:
- National, online advertising
- Social media
- TV home show
- Print and email marketing
- Yard signs
- Company and industry-wide alerts
- MLS (Multiple Listing Service)
- Open houses/broker opens (if you choose)
Ready to Sell?
Preparing your home for sale now, while other sellers hold off after the holidays, combined with a strategic holiday home marketing plan, will help you attract more serious buyers, face less competition, and potentially speed up the sales process.
If you work with me to list your house, I can get you in front of eager buyers who may be looking to make a move before the year’s end. Let’s get started today!