Well, probably not the greatest but definitely the best I have ever had. It was a zoo with at least 100+ people through. I had been hearing anecdotal evidence of this for several weeks from other agents- 40+, 60+, 80+ people. Frankly, I don’t know how anyone keeps track. I stopped counting at 30 when we were 45 minutes into the 3 hour open and they were starting to come in droves.
What does this mean? Are prices going to go up? Are multiple offers ahead?
Well, in our case it meant four offers three days later, about a week after coming on the market. I believe it was a combination of a great Northwest Contemporary house in a good neighborhood of cool Mid-Century Modern homes, well staged and priced right. Some good marketing thrown into the mix and it was a success. I don’t think it means prices are going up any time soon. The activity has definitely increased though. Buyers are feeling less edgy about the economy and the tick up in interest rates has finally pushed many off the fence.
You are much more likely to see this in a neighborhood like West Bellevue but I think it is a great early indicator of a (very slowly) strengthening market. I know, after a year of all listing business, I am currently working with more buyers than I have in a very long time.
So if you have considered selling in the near term. I am telling you that right now, this spring, activity is way up. That could change as interest rates rise as they are expected to do so I can only tell you what is going on right now, at this point in time. If you do decide to sell, be prepared to have your home in tip-top shape and be very realistic about your price. If you can do those two things, your chances of selling your home right now are better than they have been in a long while.
