ON THE MARKET: Times have changed

Published 9:25 am Thursday, October 13, 2022

How times have changed. We are seeing a trend in the expectations of what a buyer looks for when searching for a home. 

Whether it be in clothing, furniture, autos or homes the demand for quality has taken a dip. Many of today’s buyer want instant gratification and overlook a home that may be older but was built with quality and integrity.   

Many of today’s buyers are on overload with their jobs and commitments and do not have the time to buy an older home and put a little TLC into it.   The new built home is more desirable as it is move-in ready and fills their immediate need.  

The buyer is paying top-dollar for homes today and many times look at a home that needs updating and are not ready to wait for the materials to arrive and find a person to do the remodeling.   

But is this saying that if you have and older home that it will be a hard sell? 

Definitely not.   

The answer is to be conscientious when pricing your home. Take into consideration where you home is located, the age of your home and how old your roof, a/c unit, hot water heater and the condition of your home.   

We all know that many buyers come to Lake Oconee because of the lake. Home sales in the Lake Country area are bringing in top dollar with many offers. Golf communities are also a main attraction to the buyer. Our golf communities offer top of the line amenities but are all different in what they have to offer. If you live in a golf community, take into consideration what your community offers. This plays into the factor in the pricing of your home.  

The age of the roof, a/c unit and windows are a major concern to the buyer. Having these items in tip-top condition will help you get your asking price. 

Many sellers ask if they should paint all the walls, paint kitchen cabinets, change counter tops, tear out carpet and put in hardwood floors.   Will this add to the selling price. Our suggestion is let the buyer add the changes and give them a better price. We all know that no matter what changes you will make will most likely not be the way a buyer would prefer. Save yourself the work and be competitive in pricing your home.   

The good news is with all the talk of recession and higher interest rates, we feel that this area is becoming a magnet drawing from all over the country. Prices are at an all- time high. Our area offers the best in weather, golf courses, a beautiful lake to enjoy all water sports and what we hear all the time — the friendliest people. 

We must consider ourselves very fortunate that we have found a little bit of paradise to live in.

If you are looking to buy a home, you have picked a beautiful place to live and if you are a seller, we hope you are only moving to another place in the area. If you are moving from Lake Oconee we know you are taking with you beautiful memories of having spent sometime in God’s country. 

Thought for the Day: Today is full of possible.