Spring has sprung here in Washington, DC. Of course you'd never know it by the temperature today, though we should not complain about waking to temps in the 30s; family and friends in Wisconsin are being treated to snow today, tomorrow and Monday!
I mean the spring real estate market of course. Contract activity has picked up; multiple offers are part of the story in some neighborhoods and price ranges. Supply is lagging behind though! Inventory in Montgomery County, Maryland, is so low that over 60% of properties going under contract in February 2013 were on the market for less than 30 days. The total number of active listings decreased 37.1% compared to February 2012, with only a 1.5 month supply of homes in the county overall.
In our area, homeowners often want their beautiful dogwood trees and daffodils to be blooming before they try to sell their house, so it looks its best. This year, perhaps more than the last few years at least, getting a jump on the spring market may prove to be a successful strategy. Note that price and preparation, plus expert marketing, advertising and promotion to your targeted buyers are still critical. I can help with all of those factors if you are considering selling soon. I am ready for your call, even if the branches on your trees are still bare.
I have a new favorite street in Washington, DC: Twelfth Place Northwest. Quiet with one-way traffic, yet walkable to the hub of hip that is the U Street Corridor. An adorable assortment of cozy rowhouses built around the 1890s, it reminds me of Rainbow Row in Charleston, South Carolina, on a smaller scale. Charm and convenience, loaded with personality. Walking down this street reminds me of one of Lucy's old storybooks, The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Manus Pinkwater. "Our street is us and we are it. Our street is where we like to be, and it looks like all our dreams." Where is your dream street?
