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Is it still a good time to sell your house?

Writer's picture: Charles "Skip" GeiserCharles "Skip" Geiser

If you’re a homeowner thinking about making a move, you may wonder if it’s still a good time to sell your house. Here’s the good news. Even with higher mortgage rates, buyer traffic is actually picking up speed.

Data from the latest ShowingTime Showing Index, which is a measure of buyers actively touring homes, helps paint the picture of how much buyer demand has increased in recent months (see graph below):





As the graph shows, the first two months of 2023 saw a noticeable increase in buyer traffic. That’s likely because the limited number of homes for sale kept shoppers looking for homes even during colder months.


To help tell the story of why the latest report is significant, let’s compare foot traffic this February with each February for the last six years (see graph below). It shows this was one of the best Februarys for buyer activity we’ve seen in recent memory.


In the last six years, we saw the most February buyer traffic in 2021 and 2022 (shown in green above), but those years were highly unusual for the housing market. So, if we compare February 2023 with the more normal, pre-pandemic years, data shows this year still marks a clear rise in buyer activity.


The uptick in buyer traffic is even more noteworthy considering the increase in mortgage rates this February. The Freddie Mac 30-year fixed mortgage rate rose from 6.09% during the week of February 2nd to 6.50% in the week of February 23rd. But even with higher rates, more buyers were looking for a home.





Jeff Tucker, Senior Economist at Zillow, says the increased buyer activity could continue:

“More buyers will keep coming out of the woodwork. We always see a seasonal uptick in home shoppers in March and April . . .”

If you’re looking to sell your house, seeing buyers still active in the market this year should be encouraging. It’s a sign buyers are out there and could be looking for a home just like yours. Working with a real estate professional to list your house now will help you get your home in front of eager buyers today.


Bottom Line

Rising foot traffic is a bright spot for this year’s housing market and indicates that buyers are looking to purchase this year, even with higher mortgage rates. If you’re ready to sell your house, let’s connect.



 

What is the Market Doing?


 

Escambia County


Escambia

Month

Closed Sales

% Change Year Over Year

March 2023

463

-18.1

Feb

345

-22.6

Jan 2023

304

-28.0

Dec 2023

375

-31.7

Nov 2022

321

-31.1%

Oct 2022

438

-15.8%

​Sep 2022

459

-13.1

Aug 2022

518

-2.1%

Jul 2022

505

-9.8%

Jun 2022

592

-3.6%

May 2022

583

16.8%

Apr 2022

522

0.2%

Mar 2022

565

2.5%

Feb 2022

446

14.4%

Information from Florida Realtors

 

Santa Rosa County







Santa Rosa County

Month

Closed Sales

% Change Year Over Year

​March 2023

404

-12.2

Feb 2023

257

-35.8

Jan 2023

228

-27.2%

Dec 2023

330

-30.2%

Nov 2022

281

-31.3%

Oct 2022

331

-34.5%

Sep 2022

373

-20.1%

Aug 2022

427

-15.3%

Jul 2022

410

-20.1%

Jun 2022

492

-11.5%

May 2022

447

-4.1%

Apr 2022

421

-7.9%

Mar 2022

460

-0.4%

Feb 2022

400

9.6%

Information from Florida Realtors

 


Current Mortgage Rates


 







 



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The information contained, and the opinions expressed, in this article are not intended to be construed as investment advice. Skip Geiser LLC. does not guarantee or warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information or opinions contained herein. Nothing herein should be construed as investment advice. You should always conduct your own research and due diligence and obtain professional advice before making any investment decision. Skip Geiser LLC. will not be liable for any loss or damage caused by your reliance on the information or opinions contained herein.


 

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