Our Full Guide to This Winter’s Cooled-Down Market

access_timeSeptember 1, 2021personPatricia Licata

Key Takeaways:

According to this winter’s market forecast, there’s going to be a flurry of new housing inventory that benefits both buyers and sellers.
More housing inventory provides additional options for buyers and newfound confidence for sellers who need to find a home after they list.
Thinking about making a move? It’s not too early to begin planning—and by starting now, you’ll be settled in your next home by the new year!

The Winter Weather Forecast Is Calling for a Cooled-Down Market

It might still be the beginning of autumn, but it’s never too early to start planning a successful home sale! If you’re thinking about listing your home this winter, you should expect the market to look a little different by the end of the year. Winter is usually the quietest time for real estate, which means you can look forward to a cooled-down winter market forecast. A slower-moving market will give sellers more time to prepare their listings and peruse the market for their next homes.

Here’s what more housing inventory means for sellers

After enduring a red-hot sellers’ market so far in 2021, this year’s winter market forecast is finally calling for increased housing inventory. More homes on the market means two things for sellers: they gain more time to prepare their listings, but they might need to do a little more to stand out from the competition.

With additional properties expected to hit the market this winter, we want to make sure you get your home listed before our area gets snowed in with sellers. From highlighting your home’s top features to marketing it to targeted buyers, we can sell your property for top dollar in no time.

Homebuyers, your holiday present is here

Instead of a present under the tree, what if we could give you a new home instead? Current predictions indicate an onset of new housing inventory this winter, which means more options for buyers. So bundle up buyers—it’s finally going to be your turn to make a move in the market. More housing inventory and continually low interest rates could lead to a long-awaited decrease in home prices, all of which will help create a more balanced market.

As your local area experts, we know how to land your dream home in just the right community. So whether you’ve been browsing for your next home or already know you’re going to need a house after you sell, you can count on us to find your perfect place. And by using our comprehensive market reports, we can help you secure a home within your budget, too!

Now’s the time to take advantage of this year’s wintery market mix

While it might be tempting to put off listing your home until after the holiday season, you never know when the market is going to shift again. Trying to time the market is one of the biggest mistakes you can make as a homeowner, and we’re here to assure you that this winter (or even fall!) is the time to make your real estate move.

Both buyers and sellers can take advantage of this year’s wintery market mix of competitive listings and increased housing inventory. New properties on the market will provide buyers with more housing options to choose from, and sellers can list their homes knowing that they’ll be able to find a new place after they sell. And if you’re listing soon, you don’t have to worry about making your property stand out—our top-notch agents can handle all the details.

Ready to Slide Into the Market This Winter?

Hop on your sleds, we’re ready to help you slide into the real estate market this winter! Buying or selling your home—even during the holiday season—doesn’t have to be stressful. Allow us to handle all the details of your real estate transaction for you this winter, so you can be settled in your next home by the new year!

Whether you’re looking for homes for sale in Lake of the Woods VA or Waterfront property in Virginia we are your Real Estate Advisors for Stafford, Fredericksburg, Spotsylvania, Locust Grove, Central Virginia, and Greater Virginia. Thinking of selling? In any market condition, “what is my home worth?” is the #1 question asked by homeowners. If you wish to sell your home, it needs to be sold for top dollar and in a timely manner. Pricing your home accurately, Pat will partner with you to make the selling process so much easier. Get started today by calling us at (540) 388-2541 or contact Pat Licata.

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Are We in a Housing Bubble? Experts Say No.

access_timeJuly 1, 2021personPatricia Licata

The question of whether the real estate market is a bubble ready to pop seems to be dominating a lot of conversations – and everyone has an opinion. Yet, when it comes down to it, the opinions that carry the most weight are the ones based on experience and expertise.

Here are four expert opinions from professionals and organizations that have devoted their careers to giving great advice to the housing industry.

The Joint Center for Housing Studies in their The State of the Nation’s Housing 2021 report:

“… conditions today are quite different than in the early 2000s, particularly in terms of credit availability. The current climb in house prices instead reflects strong demand amid tight supply, helped along by record-low interest rates.”

Nathaniel Karp, Chief U.S. Economist at BBVA:

“The housing market is in line with fundamentals as interest rates are attractive and incomes are high due to fiscal stimulus, making debt servicing relatively affordable and allowing buyers to qualify for larger mortgages. Underwriting standards are still strong, so there is little risk of a bubble developing.”

Bill McBride of Calculated Risk:

“It’s not clear at all to me that things are going to slow down significantly in the near future. In 2005, I had a strong sense that the hot market would turn and that, when it turned, things would get very ugly. Today, I don’t have that sense at all, because all of the fundamentals are there. Demand will be high for a while, because Millennials need houses. Prices will keep rising for a while, because inventory is so low.”

Mark Fleming, Chief Economist at First American:

“Looking back at the bubble years, house prices exceeded house-buying power in 2006 nationally, but today house-buying power is nearly twice as high as the median sale price nationally…
Many find it hard to believe, but housing is actually undervalued in most markets and the gap between house-buying power and sale prices indicates there’s room for further house price growth in the months to come.”

Bottom Line

All four strongly believe that we’re not in a bubble and won’t see crashing home values as we did in 2008. And they’re not alone – Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan, Morgan Stanley, and Merrill Lynch share the same opinion.

Information was provided by keepingcurrentmatters.com

To see available Lake of the Woods properties, please visit our site.

Licata Group/KWCP Coronavirus Update

access_timeApril 1, 2020personPatricia Licata

With the recent orders from Governor Northem in regards to the Coronavirus, we at The Licata Group/KWCP have decided to temporarily close our physical office at 36111 Goodwin Drive in Locust Grove, VA. That being said, our efforts to serve our community and continuing our efforts to get the job done for our clients who are buying and selling will not stop. Effective today, 4/1/2020, we will be working remotely. Our phones will remain active and we will not slow down at all. We will continue to work with clients, and provide the best possible service during this time.

If you have any questions, feel free to call us at (540) 388-2541.

We thank you for your understanding, and look forward to continuing to working with the best clients that the great Commonwealth of Virginia has to offer.