This Month in Real Estate (US) January 2012

http://www.kw.com JANUARY

Hello and welcome to This Month in Real Estate. I'm JAY PAPASAN.

Our top story: surprising insights into the mind of a buyer. But first, the numbers.

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And now, our top story.

According to a national survey of real estate transactions, it takes about twelve weeks for the typical buyer to find their next home.

Since the vast majority of homebuyers start their search online, the weather becomes less of a factor for sellers marketing their house to those buyers.

For more tips on how sellers can make the most of any market, we turn to News You Can Use.

NEWS YOU CAN USE

The traditional home buying season starts in the spring. And for good reason.

Families with kids need to be settled in time for the new school year, and houses just plain show better with a lawn of green grass and leaves on the trees.

Sounds good, right? Well, there are some strong arguments in favor of listing your house right now, instead of waiting until spring. Here are just a few ...

• Since it takes almost three months for the average buyer to find a home, houses listed right now are in a better position to market to buyers looking to close in the spring.

• On average, the number of home sales in January drops almost by half from the previous year's peak. When there are fewer houses competing, a house that is priced right and staged well will stand out even more from the competition.

• Lenders, appraisers, home inspectors, movers and other vendors also see a seasonal dip in transactions. This can mean a quicker and easier closing than the busy spring season

For more reasons a winter sale might be for you, talk to your local real estate agent.

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That's all for This Month In Real Estate. Thank you for joining us.

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