Merry Christmas and Happy 2014

11 Good Reasons to List Property During the Holidays

1. People who look for a home during the holidays are more serious buyers! 

2. Serious buyers have fewer houses to choose from during the holidays and less competition means more money for you!

3. Since the supply of listings will dramatically increase in January, there will be less demand for your particular home! Less demand means less money for you!

@Big Stock Photo

4. Houses show better when decorated for the holidays!

5. Buyers are more emotional during the holidays, so they are more likely to pay your price!

6. Buyers have more time to look for a home during the holidays than they do during a working week!

7. Some people must buy before the end of the year for tax reasons!

8. January is traditionally the month for employees to begin new jobs. Since transferees cannot wait until Spring to buy, you must be on the market now to capture that market!

9. You can still be on the market, but you have the option to restrict showings during the six or seven days during the holidays!

10. You can sell now for more money and we will provide for a delayed closing or extended occupancy until early next year!

11. By selling now, you may have an opportunity to be a non-contingent buyer during the Spring, when many more houses are on the market for less money! This will allow you to sell high and buy low!

Is There Ever Really a "Right Time" for Home Buyers and Sellers?

Why is the worst time of the year often the best time for real estate buyers and sellers?

The holiday season and the following "worst weather" months are widely considered the least optimal time of the year for real estate transactions. But in reality, these distraction-packed months - November to February - can actually carry benefits for determined buyers and sellers.

Learn more by clicking HERE

Adventures in Shopping at Trader Joe's: Sarasota, Florida

When I lived in the Northeast, I had the good fortune that my favorite specialty food store, Trader Joe's, had two locations within five miles of my home. When I moved to Florida, however, I was disappointed to learn that the closest Trader Joe's store was 50 miles away in Sarasota. Ugh!

With Thanksgiving fast approaching, I decided to pack a cooler and set off by car for Sarasota with a long shopping list. Here it was, a Wednesday afternoon, and when I arrived at Trader Joe's, I was shocked there wasn't a parking spot to be found in the lot. You'd think they were giving the food away! I circled and circled, until lo and behold, ta-da...a space finally opened up for me.

It was good to be back, pushing a cart up and down the narrow aisles of TJ's. I stocked up some of my favorites (including bacon-wrapped scallops), learned they were sold out of pumpkin butter (drats!), tasted food samples (dee-lish!) and also purchased a lot of specialty items geared for the holiday season.

My favorite find from this trip was Trader Joe's Pumpkin Cranberry Scone mix. I whipped up a trial batch for a gathering this past weekend. Folks there admitted that they were not "crazy about" pumpkin, but they gobbled these up. They were a cinch to make: add an egg, melted butter and milk to the mix and drop by heaping spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet. Yes, that easy. After baking at 375 for about 15 minutes, viola! They were the hit of the day, and I am definitely making another batch of these for Thanksgiving.

Visiting the Trader Joe's in Sarasota was certainly worth the trip. And I'm pleased to report that two new Trader Joe's locations are in the works for South Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida for 2014! So much closer...Hooray!!

Happy Thanksgiving!