Best Time to Buy a House in Seattle

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The novel coronavirus pandemic has added a lot of uncertainty to every function of life in the Seattle area, and the housing market is no exception.

Merely people continue to demand to buy and sell their homes, whether they're growing their family and need a bigger identify, relocating for a job or retiring. And the real estate industry has rapidly adapted to restrictions due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Companies have prioritized virtual showings, with an emphasis on using technology to streamline the process.

So, equally restrictions in the state begin to be lifted, what's the best time to buy or sell your dwelling?

The resounding answer from the experts: When you lot're gear up.

Currently, the Seattle housing market is seeing very low inventory, meaning sellers can look less contest from other sellers and multiple offers from buyers. On the heir-apparent side, low involvement rates continue to be an incentive.

At that place remains an underlying factor of uncertainty -- of what will happen with coronavirus-related restrictions over the side by side few months and what other long-term impacts the pandemic will take on people in the region.

But what experts know for sure is what is happening today in the housing market place.

"At that place'due south no certainty like today," broker Kristine Milkovich said

If you're looking to buy or sell your home, hither'due south what else the experts say.

Lisa and Kristine Milkovich, brokers, The Milkovich Team, in association with John Fifty. Scott Real Estate

Lisa and Kristine Milkovich said they quickly adapted when the novel coronavirus pandemic hit the region, listening to directives from the land and making adjustments and then they could continue serving sellers and buyers.

The pandemic caused some sellers to take a interruption, due to the uncertainty of the situation, Lisa Milkovich said. That has resulted in the Seattle housing marketplace, already seeing low inventory, facing fifty-fifty more of a reduction. At the same fourth dimension, heir-apparent demand remained, she said.

The event is a seller'due south market.

"It's a perfect time for a seller to sell, as long as they are market fix," Lisa Milkovich said. "We have a strong belief that you want to put your best foot forward and be what we called market ready."

Lisa Milkovich said if people put their homes on the market place earlier the coronavirus-related restrictions are lifted, they will probable get more than coin when compared to later. She predicted one time some restrictions are lifted, inventory will increment.

For buyers, the advice is similar.

"Our philosophy is that a buyer should start yesterday," Kristine Milkovich said. "There's no certainty like today."

If someone decides they want to move or don't want to rent anymore, has a stable job and is able to get coaches and advisors that tin can help them through the process, then they should start every bit shortly as they're prepare, she said.

"We don't know where the rates are going to go," she said. "We don't know when the next pandemic is going to happen."

Lisa Milkovich added that looking at historical data, the summertime market place is typically the best time for buyers.

But buyers and sellers can wait some fundamental differences in their search that primarily volition include an emphasis on virtual tours and on wellness and prophylactic.

Kristine Milkovich said she and her team are making sure in all virtual communication, buyers know exactly what they are getting and receive the same level of particular equally they would before the pandemic.

"We're going to make certain to get through every unlike stride that we always have," she said.

They are as well putting an extra emphasis on doing promotions of their virtual open houses, posting to social media platforms and using other strategies to get people on board and engaged. And they similar to accept a petty fun with their virtual open houses, combining it with a happy hour and touring the home with a glass of wine or champagne.

Kristine Milkovich said one family she was working with that was relocating to Seattle even decided to buy a home after seeing it well-nigh. For 2 hours, nearly, she talked through every unmarried detail nigh the abode -- every crevice, every spot, every possibility.

"They literally felt like they were at that place," she said.

The Milkovichs look this kind of emphasis on technology and showing homes virtually will continue moving forward.

With everything going on, the team fabricated articulate, regardless of what the market place looks like, people should make decisions almost buying and selling homes based on what works for them.

"COVID-19 or not, the best time to buy or sell is when it's right for you in your life," Lisa Milkovich said. "So we're here with the data and the tools ... just we always want to do what's right for our buyers and our sellers. They should buy and sell when information technology's right for them."

Matt van Winkle, founder and CEO, RE/MAX Northwest Realtors

Van Winkle similarly said people looking to sell their homes should become started whenever they're ready. Unlike past years, at that place is no "seasonal timing" this year, he said.

The selling season will likely run well into the summer and into the fall, he said. In that location will go along to be pent upward demand, with fewer listings on the market and people forgoing traditional summertime vacations besides due to the coronavirus pandemic.

"The historical timing of listing a property doesn't be this year," van Winkle said.

His advice: "If y'all can get your firm prepped and ready, at present is the fourth dimension to list."

For buyers, he had similar communication. Interest rates are depression and in that location are notwithstanding a lot of unknowns nearly what'southward going to change in the future.

"At that place's a lot of dubiety and it'southward hard to know if there's going to exist more inventory later or not," he said. "And then for buyers who are not under time restrictions ... if they're set at present, they should start now. And if at that place'due south time to wait, that gives them a fiddling more than flexibility."

He added it's of import for people to make sure they've secured their lending, equally some guidelines have shifted amongst the pandemic.

There'southward a lot that is unpredictable about this situation, he said. Just the Seattle expanse housing market was very competitive before the coronavirus pandemic, and that continues today. All of the factors that contribute to people ownership and selling homes are standing -- even with the disruptions.

"Real manor is still going at a fast pace," he said. "Fifty-fifty though this is a disruption in peoples' lives, everyone'due south lives withal have to go on."

Jeff Tucker, economist, Zillow

Tucker said the pandemic slowed down the volume of sales and the pace of sales in the Seattle area. Information technology acquired some fraction of buyers to put off their planned home purchases and a portion of sellers to concord off on listing their homes.

The impact of the pandemic on prices thus far has been pretty neutral. In that location is a misconception that buyers should be able to get the "deal of a lifetime" right at present, Tucker said, but that's non what's happening in the Seattle area. A big function of that is because at that place are so few homes on the market.

Inventory year over year is down significantly, which means sellers are facing a lot less competition from each other.

"A lot of sellers who would have listed their homes in the bound are putting information technology off right now, and that means at that place'south but a smaller pool of options for people to choose from," he said.

For people looking to sell, Tucker said his offset piece of advice would be to make certain it'southward a decision they make after giving information technology serious idea. As far as timing, Tucker said sellers should get their homes on the market every bit soon as they're ready.

"I would say that correct now it does look like it's really a surprisingly favorable time to be selling a domicile," he said. "Because there is and so little competition and because the people who are buying homes volition have access to really depression mortgage rates."

Right now, the market is "starved" for listings, he said, and so sellers likely won't have much trouble finding a buyer.

Tucker added it's very hard to forecast the future.

"Nosotros know exactly what conditions are today," he said. "Nosotros don't know what weather condition will look similar for sellers in 5 months."

On the buyer side, Tucker said it appears some buyers in the Seattle area seem to be weathering the economic impacts from the coronavirus somewhat amend than in other parts of the state. Many of the largest employers in the area are in industries where employees still feel secure.

If someone has thought virtually it and decides it's the right time to buy a firm now, ane positive is that mortgage rates are low. That'due south something enticing a lot of buyers to the market, Tucker said.

Buyers can too look at the pool of listings and assess whether at that place are homes that see their needs. Because there is low inventory, it might exist harder to observe the perfect dwelling. Tucker said information technology's likely at that place volition be more sellers coming into the market over the next few months. It's as well probable more buyers will be coming in off the sidelines though, significant there could be more competition.

"That level of competition is likely to be even more vehement in the summer," he said.

His advice: "Go along an center on the market," and if buyers see something that is a "perfect fit," they should go for it.

Tucker also said it's of import for buyers to double bank check that their employment and income is secure. The state and country has seen an unprecedented number of layoffs over the by few months due to the coronavirus pandemic and anyone buying a house should make certain they can trust their income.

Is in that location any reason for sellers or buyers to wait? Well, it'southward always hard to fourth dimension the market, Tucker said. That dubiousness is at an all time loftier now, with so many factors up in the air.

People should focus on what'south going on in their own life -- and make the movement if now is the correct time for them, he said.

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Source: https://www.seattlepi.com/coronavirus/article/best-time-to-buy-or-sell-a-house-during-pandemic-15287608.php

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