At this time of year the page views at this site slide. It has happened every year since it went online in 2004. The reason is that the majority of people returning to my site or visiting for the first time, are people interested in lake properties in the Alexandria Area. Fall has many people’s thoughts on school, football, hunting, outdoor projects, enjoying the fall colors and not on summers at the lake. It is natural for people to get more excited about lake life towards the end of winter and at the beginning of spring. But now and leading up to the first snowfall (sorry for bringing it up), it is the best time for negotiating a good price on a lake home.
It isn’t the case with every property listed for sale in the Multiple Listing Service as each seller has their own motivation. But, put yourself in the shoes of someone that owns a lake home that is only used seasonally. That owner is likely going to take a harder look at offers now. Offer that they might not consider next spring. The lake home is going to sit empty and the owner will have carrying costs such as utility bills, upkeep, taxes, insurance and if there is a mortgage, monthly payments will be made. If they sold their lake property now, they would have equity freed up. And uncertainty can get the better of people’s imaginations. Questions such as “How is the presidential election result going to affect the economy” or “How is the real estate market going to be in 2017” may be thought about. Uncertainty is your friend when you are a buyer. Sellers become less uncertain, if not over confidant, in the spring as potential buyers are excited about the upcoming summer.
