In my real job of list, market, sell Maine real estate, winter can be viewed by sellers as the “runt” of the seasons litter.
Often the comment, “Well better wait until spring and take the Maine home, whatever the listing off the market”. Or delay getting it live, advertised. I ask why is that, knowing their response. “Because everyone knows, no one buys Maine real estate in the winter.” Said like every man, woman and child knows that. End of debate. When some like myself in the pack of 31 would respectfully disagree. With all due respect uttered in a Joe Dirt delivery.
It’s the same answer they would give if on the final round of a Jeopardy quiz game show. With complete confidence that it was the one and only winning response to make. To be the hero and their home town some kinda proud. (Buzzer disqualifying sound).
Sometimes it’s more of a “I don’t want to move in the winter” in the case of a Maine home, farm house. Not just a quarter of the year that everyone starts playing Quakers Meeting has begun. No one smile. No gum, teeth, tongue showing, and definitely no Maine home listing / selling ya hear?
The thought hit me leaving a house closing yesterday and climbing back into the jeep parked in front of the courthouse to bee line back to the listing hive.
We sell lots of Maine homes in winter. Because life does not (sound of record needle screeching, ripping to a musical halt, then pregnant pause silence) take a break when Maine winter snow happens.
But Maine home owners pulling the marketing plug in winter help the other house seller properties that are available. Like musical chairs, where shorter supply means greater demand. Extra attention to what is on the market happens. Like increased pressure from a restricted, kinked up MLS hose. The flexible seller who says “sure, we can move in winter” opens up, increases the buyer pool size for a local Maine home. Or job transfers, need to move to be closer to an elderly, sickly parent out of state life situations develop. Can’t wait until spring, summer, fall.
The marketing for the Maine home can continue with a clause, contingency that the possession of it won’t be until the end of April.
Or some you pick it, the designated “check out” time. But believing no one sells, moves in the winter because you do misses what happens all the time from our experience. Because you would not do something in life is not an absolute that no one else would too.
Lots of folks disagreed with Chris Columbus about the shape of the world we all spin on. No sir, most would argue, it’s a given everyone knows we populate a blue and green flat rock. Not the absurd notion of a round revolving, tilting marble. What are you smoking? Geesh Louise.
The Maine home seller who insists on waiting until spring to list because of a few repair updates, invariably finds it is after July 4th by the time we get the marketing machine kicked into full gear. See it happen all the time. So suddenly smaller winter inventory of Maine homes and then watch out. Flood gate, roller coaster of here they come opens up. Running of the bulls crazy. With panic, fear and hurry hurry shoulder to shoulder shoving. Herded, crowded and making an all or nothing inventory supply bottle neck. PSSssst.
(Whispering) Ignore the memo someone sent about Maine homes don’t sell in winter.
List that Maine home to market the heck out of it full throttle. Expose it to the four corners of the Earth and back over the Maine winter. Don’t think like some in the 31. To generate Maine home interest on line, far far away. For other folks that may not want to move in winter either just like some of you. But come spring, watch out. Your Maine home Chummy, Mister Man is already sold. Because of the winter connection established with back and forth communication. Watching videos of the Maine homes that are like the next best thing to being there anyway.
And this just in, the groundhog did not see his shadow.
Get that Maine home listed, marketed, on its way to the real estate sale closing. There. We can now resume our regular, scheduled Me In Maine blog post programming with that off my chest. Out in the open. Thank you. Off to show a Monticello, then Ludlow Maine home this morning even though I know I know, no one ever sells, buys a home in winter. It’s not true. Witness it happening first hand all the time. Just saying.
I’m Maine REALTOR Andrew Mooers, ME Broker
207.532.6573
info@mooersrealty.com