Spring is a notoriously good time to list a home for sale. Temperatures are warming, the crocuses are starting to push up through the damp ground, and folks who might buy your house are thinking ahead to September, the best time for their kids to enter a new school. According to the real estate web site Trulia.com, though, some markets are going to be hotter than others next month.
The web site’s analysts looked at sales patterns state by state since 2007 and determined the best times of the year to their homes for sale. They came up with a number of states where March could go out like a lion if you list and price your home right. By April, you could be looking for your dream house on a golf course in the South, flush with more than enough cash for the transaction and on your way to a more active but less expensive lifestyle.
The cost of living in Leland, NC, home to Brunswick Forest and its fine Cape Fear National Golf Club, is as much as 50% lower than in some northern cities.
Along the eastern seaboard, more buyers in Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and Georgia will be looking for homes in March than in any other month of the year, according to Trulia. In the upper Midwest, the same will be true for homes in Michigan and Ohio. And in New England, Trulia indicates just one state, Massachusetts, will be hotter in terms of sales in March than its neighbors.
More buyers looking for homes in March could push up the price for your home, especially if local inventories are thin. Some markets are reporting bidding wars, a relic of the early 2000s, and sale prices higher than the list prices. But buyer demand is not the only good reason for couples considering a move to warmer climates to consider listing
To demonstrate potential buying power for those considering a move north to south, we compared recent selling prices of homes in some of the states Trulia says will be hot commodities in March with the current prices for comparably sized homes in popular golf communities in the southeast. (Where we could find recent sale prices, we used those; otherwise, we used listing prices.) To further illuminate the financial aspects of a move from north to south, we added a figure for the change in cost of living. (Cost-of-living data from BestPlaces.net)
If you would like us to work up the numbers for your dream move to a golf community, just fill out our Customer Questionnaire or contact us directly. We will respond promptly and will always keep your personal information strictly confidential.
From Massachusetts to near Wilmington, NC…
Sold: 41 Oakhurst Cir, Needham, MA
3 BR/2.5 BA, 1,946 sq. ft.
Price: $700,000/ $360 per sq. ft.
Recent Sale: Brunswick Forest, Leland, NC
3 BR/3 BA, 2,000 sq. ft.
$329,500/$165 per sq. ft.
COL change: 51% decrease
From Ohio to the coast of North Carolina…
Sold: 9963 Morris Drive, Dublin,OH
4 BR/3 BA, 2,451 sq. ft.
Price: $560,000/$228 per sq. ft.
For Sale: Ocean Ridge Plantation, Sunset Beach, NC
3 BR/3 BA, 2,300 sq. ft.
$387,500/$168 per sq. ft.
COL change: 8% decrease
From Michigan to the mountains of North Carolina…
Sold: 3875 Lakeland Lane, Bloomfield Hills, MI
3 BR/3.5 BA, 3,000 sq. ft.
$850,000/$283 per sq. ft.
For Sale: Champion Hills, Hendersonville, NC
4 BR/3.5 BA, 3,275 sq. ft.
$695,000/$212 per sq. ft.
COL change: 38% decrease
From Mclean, VA to near Savannah, GA…
Sold: 819 Ridge Drive, Mclean, VA
4 BR/2.5 BA, 3,056 sq. ft.
$903,530/$296 per sq. ft.
Recent Sale: The Landings, Savannah, GA
3 BR/2.5 BA, 3,166 sq. ft.
$353,000/$112 per sq. ft.
COL change: 30% decrease
We list a selection of current golf homes for sale in these and other golf communities at our companion web site, GolfHomesListed. Check it out by clicking here.