Many people think of the fall and winter months as the “slow time” of year for real estate, and on average sales are a little slower.  However, when you absolutely have to sell your home, it doesn’t matter what time of year it is.  If you have been thinking about putting your home on the market, now might be a great time.  I mean RIGHT NOW! This is certainly a weekend many kids look forward to; dressing up as their favorite characters, staying out a little later than usual, and of course all the candy!  The kids may not care too much about the for sale sign in your front yard, but think of how many parents will see it.

This of course depends on your area and more specifically, your neighborhood.  Listing my own house the week before Halloween would do me absolutely no good since we don’t have trick-or-treaters walking up and down our street.  There are those neighborhoods, however, that get the “trick-or-treat” reputation and it nearly becomes a block party.  One specific neighborhood I know of in a small community just outside of Waco has the police barricade the entrance to the neighborhood! The only traffic allowed is the homeowners, and even then you have to show proof of address to the police to get through.  This allows the kids and parents to feel safe while trick-or-treating, which usually draws a larger crowd than normal.  Some of the homeowners use trailers for hay rides and drive all the kids around.  Parents from all over town bring their family here to trick-or-treat and have a great evening.

OK, back to real estate.  Let’s say you need to sell your home and live in a kid-friendly and well-populated neighborhood.  What other time of year are you going to get large amounts of foot traffic walking by your house? Listing right now, before Saturday may be the difference between finding a quick buyer, or sitting on the market through the holidays.  A fresh-mowed lawn, some Halloween decorations and a flyer box full of color flyers with the house information could go a long way.  Remember, while the kids are walking to the front door, the parents will be waiting at the curb, looking at the sign, reading the flyer and getting curious.  Even if they are not in the market for a new home, they may know someone who is, and word-of-mouth goes a long way.  Another good tip is to turn on ALL the lights in the front of the home, not just the porch light.  If you have any bedrooms or dining rooms with front-facing windows, hit the lights.  Nothing looks better at night than a well-lit home, and this is your time to shine! 

If you are in the Waco, TX area and have been thinking about selling, now may be the perfect opportunity.  Call or e-mail today with any questions;  I would love the opportunity to earn your business!