October in Marin: Last Push For Busy Home Sale Market?

October is here in Marin, with nothing but warm blue sky on the horizon. Literally. The days are gorgeous and the sunsets amazing this time of year. Nature’s free show, as I tell my kids. “Let’s go outside and look at that,” I say. They do, and go, “Oh”. Kids. What are you gonna do.

With everybody outside this time of year, there’s plenty to do, along with sky-watching. The water is its warmest out at Muir or Stinson beach, with good surf or SUP in high gear. Hiking and biking too, make their firm imprint before the rains (presumably) of winter hit. You may recall last Halloween being a freak early storm, which obviously turned out to be a precursor of wetness to come. The county and the state both saw record rains, with hundreds of feet of cumulative snow in the Sierra. What will this winter bring? Who knows, just like nobody knows what will happen with Marin County home prices. But if you guess it will be another “up” year for rain and home values, you’re probably right.

Beginning in mid November though, our home sale market usually takes a much needed breather. Yes, buyers are still out in force and homes do remain for sale, but the goal for both buyers and sellers is often to complete a transaction by one of three dates: Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s Eve. As the progress of an escrow takes weeks, not days, you pretty much have to be under contract by November 1st to reach Thanksgiving, or December 1st to close by Christmas or New Year’s. Not set in stone, just a time-proven trend.

Sellers that want to sell will keep their homes on the market right thru January 1, with buyers going out to look even in the worst of storms. For both, it’s a decision and process with long term consequences, with a little sky water not hurting anyone.

For you? Let me know what I can do to help. The market is changing, often by the day or week. As always, let me know of any questions. Thanks for reading and here’s to a great fall season for all of us.

TS

Text or call 415.377.5222 or ted@gomarin.com

Filed under: Marin Real Estate Blog by Ted Strodder