If you're thinking about moving, it's important to know what's happening in the housing market. Here's an update on the supply of homes currently for sale. Whether you're buying or selling, the number of homes in your area is something you should pay attention to.In the housing market, there are regular patterns that happen every year, called seasonality. Spring is the peak homebuying season and also when the most homes are typically listed for sale (homes coming onto the market are known in the industry as new listings). In the second half of each year, the number of new listings typically decreases as the pace of sales slows down.The graph below uses data from Realtor.com to provide a visual of this seasonality. It shows how this year (the black line) is breaking from the norm (see graph below):Looking at this graph, three things become clear:2017-2019 (the blue and gray lines) follow the same general pattern. These years were very typical in the housing market and their lines on the graph show normal, seasonal trends.Starting in 2020, the data broke from the normal trend. The big drop down in 2020 (the orange line) signals when the pandemic hit and many sellers paused their plans to move. 2021 (the green line) and 2022 (the red line) follow the normal trend a bit more, but still are abnormal in their own ways.This year (the black line) is truly unique. The steep drop off in new listings that usually occurs this time of year hasn’t happened. If 2023 followed the norm, the line representing this year would look more like the dotted black line. Instead, what’s happening is the number of new listings is stabilizing. And, there are even more new listings coming to the market this year compared to the same time last year.What Does This Mean for You?For buyers, new listings stabilizing is a positive sign. It means you have a more steady stream of options coming onto the market and more choices for your next home than you would have at the same time last year. This opens up possibilities and allows you to explore a variety of homes that suit your needs.For sellers, while new listings are breaking seasonal norms, inventory is still well below where it was before the pandemic. If you look again at the graph, you’ll see the black line for this year is still lower than normal, meaning inventory isn’t going up dramatically and prices aren’t heading for a crash. And with less competition from other sellers than you’d see in a more typical year, your house has a better chance to be in the spotlight and attract eager buyers.Bottom LineWhether you're on the hunt for your next home or thinking of selling, now might just be the perfect time to make your move. If you have questions or concerns about the availability of homes in your local area, connect with a real estate agent.

Looking for a home that combines convenience, style, and investment potential? Look no further than 1208 Neil Avenue in Columbus, OH. This charming property is situated in the heart of Victorian Village, a highly sought-after neighborhood known for its historic architecture, tree-lined streets, and vibrant community.Upon arrival, you'll be greeted by a covered front porch, perfect for enjoying the neighborhood's character or welcoming guests. Inside, you'll discover 9-foot ceilings and hardwood floors that lend an air of elegance to every corner of the home. With 4 bedrooms and 3 full bathrooms, the floor plan offers both comfort and versatility, making it ideal for families, professionals, or investors.One of the most convenient features of this property is the 1 bed and 1 full bath located on the first floor, providing easy accessibility and flexibility. The home also includes a 1 car garage and off-street parking, a valuable amenity in this prime location.But beyond its immediate charm, 1208 Neil Avenue presents an excellent investment opportunity. With its desirable location in Victorian Village, this property is sure to attract renters or future buyers who are drawn to the area's historic charm, vibrant community, and proximity to downtown Columbus.So whether you're looking for a forever home or an investment property, don't miss the chance to explore the possibilities of 1208 Neil Avenue. Stop by the open house on Sunday from 1-4 pm to see for yourself what this property has to offer. With 4 bedrooms, 3 full bathrooms, and a listing price of $524,900, this home won't stay on the market for long.

People say a lot of things about selling a home in today’s market. But unfortunately, some of it isn’t true—and buying into those myths can have a negative impact on your home sale. So what, exactly, are people saying about selling your home in today’s market that just don’t align with the facts? A recent article from realtor.com outlined common myths about selling a home in today’s market that simply aren’t true, including: “Buyers will take anything—so there’s no need to renovate or repair.” Many sellers think that low inventory means that buyers will be willing to pay top dollar for any property. But the truth is, many buyers are put off by homes that appear like they need a lot of work. So while there’s no need to completely renovate your home prior to listing, making small, cosmetic repairs (like tidying up the landscaping or repainting the walls) can make a huge difference in how attractive your home is to buyers—and ultimately, how quickly (and profitably!) your home sells. “There’s no need to invest in marketing my home; in this market, homes sell themselves.” It may be a seller’s market—but that doesn’t mean, as a seller, you don’t have to put in any effort to sell your property. Buyers spend a lot of time scouting homes online—so if you want your home to sell, you’ll want to invest time and resources into making your listing as attractive as possible (for example, getting professional photos of your property). “In a bidding war, choosing the highest offer is always the right move.” Bidding wars are a common occurrence in today’s market—and many sellers believe that, if their home inspires a bidding war, they should accept the highest offer. But that’s not always true. There’s a lot more to an offer than just the purchase price—and going with a slightly lower offer with better terms (for example, more flexible closing terms or an all-cash offer) is often a better option than just choosing whichever offer has the highest dollar amount. The Takeaway: So what does this mean for you? If you’re thinking about selling your home, it’s important to arm yourself with the right information about how to navigate the current market—and to avoid buying into myths that could potentially derail your sale.  

It’s highly possible that an experienced home inspector could fail to find something wrong with your house. So it isn’t out of the question that you might not know about something wrong with it. But considering you live there, unless it’s something truly lurking below the surface that only a trained eye could find, the chances are you know a thing or two that’s wrong with your house. And if you do, you should disclose the issue(s) to potential buyers. But, according to a recent REALTOR Magazine article, 94% of homeowners do not disclose known issues with their home, hoping buyers wouldn’t notice. Well, they do notice, because 90% of buyers surveyed reported finding issues with the home after closing, including: Electrical (88%) Fixtures (58%) Plumbing (58%) Exterior structures (like sheds) (54%) Leaks (54%) Basement (52%) Water damage (46%) Heating and cooling (43%) Exterior facade (42%) Mold or termites (39%) Major appliances (34%) Roof (31%) Foundation (27%) Even if it’s something you’ve tolerated for many years (a common excuse sellers make), it doesn’t mean it’s something the buyer of your house should be expected to figure out and be okay with once they’ve lived in the home for a while. For instance: Is there a light switch that doesn’t actually work? It might aggravate the heck out of you, but you never wanted to spend the money to get it fixed, and maybe you hope the buyer just won’t notice until they live there. Or perhaps there’s a pipe that clogs once or twice a year and requires a plumber to come out to professionally snake it. That could easily go unnoticed during an inspection. But you know within a year they’ll have to deal with it, and within two years they’re going to figure out it’s something that happens regularly, and probably has been for years. But at that point, you’ll be long gone. Does your basement flood when it rains really hard? You may be able to paint over any water damage and get the musty smell out before listing your house, but that doesn’t fix the fact that your buyers will need to put on some boots and wet-vac an inch of water like you did after a heavy rain. Those are just a few examples, but what are the things that aggravate you about your house and your buyer will have to deal with? Put yourself in your buyers’ shoes (or boots, if you will), and have some empathy. Ideally, fix it for them before even selling it. (Oh, and you should disclose a known issue even if you fix it, by the way!) But if you can’t, or just don’t want to fix something, at least disclose it and let the buyer make an informed decision. Why should you disclose known issues, when 94% of sellers don’t? While buyers should do their due diligence, and their home inspector should catch any issues (and could be liable for missing things), there’s still a responsibility on the owner to disclose any known issues. If you fail to disclose, you could be liable! Just because the buyer didn’t realize there was an issue before closing on the purchase of your house, does not mean they can’t come after you for not disclosing a problem. The Takeaway: Disclosing issues with your house to potential buyers isn’t just the right thing to do, it’s your legal responsibility. Just because “everyone else does it,” and you may get away with it, isn’t a good reason to throw caution to the wind. Besides, just because there’s an issue and you disclose it doesn’t necessarily mean you have to fix it. That’s always negotiable, and the buyer can take it into consideration when making their offer. It may not even affect how much they’re willing to offer for your house. But if you try to hide it and they find out, you could find yourself losing a deal, or worse…a future lawsuit!

    If you’re a person who spends a lot of time in their kitchen, chances are, at some point you may want to make some changes or upgrades to the space. But kitchen renovations can be expensive. So, the question is, how can you upgrade your space without spending tens of thousands of dollars to do so? A recent article from realtor.com outlined kitchen upgrades that can transform the look and feel of your space without breaking the bank, including: Swap out your hardware. Replacing kitchen cabinets can be an expensive, time-consuming project. But if you want to refresh the look of your cabinets, you can do it quickly and affordably by swapping out the hardware. Switching out your existing hardware for knobs and pulls that better fit your personal style is an easy way to upgrade your kitchen—and you can pull off the project with a budget of about $100.   Personalize with paint. If you’re looking to completely change the look of your space, you won’t find a better budget-friendly project than painting cabinets and/or walls—and you can complete the project in a few days and with a budget of about $300. For a luxurious look, consider painting the walls in a rich, dark hue. Or, to open up the space, consider painting your cabinets in an airy neutral tone.   Add a kitchen island. If you have a large space to work with—and you want your kitchen upgrade to not only change the look and feel of your kitchen, but the functionality and the way you utilize the space—consider adding a kitchen island. Not only are islands both attractive and functional, they’re more affordable than you’d imagine. (You can find budget-friendly options between $125 and $1,000.)