Is winter a great time to sell?

     Well, it's the time of the year when winter rolls into Minnesota and normal life becomes more difficult.  Cars need to be parked inside, going outside for 5 minutes becomes a challenge, and getting kids out the door to go to school takes an extra 15 minutes getting on snow pants, mittens, scarves, and face masks.  So, when it comes to looking at houses, the market in the Twin Cities really slows down.  Who wants to walk around a house and look at a back yard when there is two feet of snow on the ground and the temperature is 10 below. 

     That's all true but the housing market doesn't come to a stop.  Every year there are houses that get listed Christmas week.  Every year there are buyers that write purchase agreements the day after New Years.  I have a buyer right now that has been looking for a house in the Mahtomedi School District.  They are going to jump as soon as a house somewhat fits their needs.  There is very little inventory out there to choose from. and this is an advantage for a seller to list in this market.  There are certainly less buyers out there willing to brave the elements to find a home but there are certainly less sellers to compete with as well.

    The challenge can be that if the house doesn't sell right away, that it takes more market time for the next buyer to come around.  If there are 10 buyers in the spring coming to market every week, there might be 1 buyer beginning their search in November.   

     It might not be a bad idea to do a market test in the late fall or early winter.  Put the house on the market for 3 weeks.  If it sells, great.  If it doesn't pull it off the market right away.  Buyers will not know what the situation was.  They might think that a situation came up where you had to pull the house off the market or that you decided not to sell.  There is no harm in a short test like this.  The only downside would be if you left the house on the market from December to April, then the house becomes "shop worn" as you enter the peak of the market.  If you listed for 3 weeks in December and then pulled off the market for two months, your listing would come back on the market fresh, just as if you never "tested" the market in the winter.  

     Every situation is different, and testing the market in the winter may not be the best strategy for your particular house, but if the situation is right and it fits into your plans, it may be a great time to sell.