A few things happened in short order last week and it got me thinking…
The first is that I spent a morning (and an afternoon into early evening!) at the Department of Motor Vehicles. I checked in online, arrived at 8:29 for an 8:30 opening and was dismayed to discover that I was 43rd in line to update my license! By 10:45, the kindly gentleman who was working the “help” desk announced to the (standing room only!) crowd that the DMV would not be taking any more customers that day, but that if we were in the building and had already logged into their system, we would be served by the close of the business day.
He went on to explain that the line had closed by 10:15 the previous day and surmised that this booming business was due to school starting the following week, but also because they – the DMV people – have processed more new Tennessee drivers’ licenses in the month of August than any single month prior!
The second thing that happened was that my newspaper arrived this morning and declared that the Williamson County School system welcomed approximately 1,100 new students when they opened their doors for the 2014 – 2015 school year. Almost 40,000 students now attend school in Williamson County (which also soundly trounced every other county in the state in test scores last year – again). The WCS communications director was quoted as saying that these numbers are “prerecession numbers” and they fully expect continued growth!
Lastly, my fabulous team of trusty assistants have been working their little fingers to the bones writing, marketing, visiting, and “open-housing” a record number of new listings. Many of these clients are moving within the county and all of them have sensed that our market – which never took the recession hit like some parts of the country – is HOT! I’ve been saying it since spring… it was true then and it is true now! If you’ve been thinking of selling your home, NOW is the time to do it. Those little anecdotes I shared above aren’t just funny, sweet stories. They are proof of what I’ve been seeing as a steady market trend for months. More families are moving from out-of-state to Tennessee. More families are moving within the state, both up and downsizing. And more companies are looking to Franklin, Brentwood and Nashville as future corporate headquarters. Without exception, the real estate market in Middle Tennessee is thriving. Oh, and one more thing… houses are selling within days – DAYS – of being listed!
So, what does this mean for you? Well besides the obvious – that you need to call me ASAP so we can get the ball rolling on listing your home – it also means that you need to be ready for some fast and furious action as soon as we pound that “FOR SALE” sign in your front yard. Most of my clients tell me that keeping their homes clean and panicking when I call with a last minute showing is one of the most stressful things about selling their homes. Don’t let this anxiety keep you from taking advantage of this crazy-great seller’s market. Instead, log onto my blog each week and I’ll share helpful tips about quick clean-up techniques that will help you keep your home shiny, tidy and show-ready in minutes! Happy home selling, friends!