Is It Time To Put Your House Back on the Market?

If you took your house off the market in late 2024, you’re not the only one. Newsweek reports that data from CoreLogic and the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) says nearly 73,000 homes were pulled from the market in December alone – that’s more than any other December going all the way back to 2017.

Whether it was because offers weren’t coming in, the timing around the holidays felt overwhelming, or they wanted to see if the market would improve in the new year – a lot of other homeowners decided to press pause, too.

But now, with spring fast approaching, it’s time to reassess. The market is already picking up, and waiting any longer to jump back in may only mean you’d face more competition from other sellers down the road.

Why Now Could Be the Right Time

Selma Hepp, Chief Economist at CoreLogic, explains that some of those sellers may have pulled their listings late last year with the goal of trying again this spring:

“Another reason for a step back could be that sellers wanted to wait and see how spring home buying season goes, and if mortgage rates fall, which would bring more home buyers and competition back in the market.”

That’s because spring is when buyer demand is typically at its highest point for the year. More people start their home search once the weather warms up. They’re eager to close on a home so they can move in during the summer. So, it’s a great window for sellers. It means more buyers.

And while mortgage rates haven’t fallen dramatically, they have come down some in recent weeks. Early signs already show buyers are becoming more active as a result. Since January, demand has picked up – and that should continue as spring draws even closer.

What To Do Differently This Time

Start by checking the status of your listing agreement. Because even if you pulled your listing, you may still be under contract. And until your listing expires, your agent or brokerage is your best resource on what else you could try to get it sold. Realtor.com offers this advice:

“If you aren’t sure of the status of your listing, whether active, expired, or withdrawn, take a look at your listing agreement and talk to your real estate agent.”

If your contract is still active, now’s the perfect time to reconnect with your agent to explore strategies to get your home sold this time around. If your contract has expired and you’re considering other options, reach out to a trusted real estate professional who can help you figure out where to go from here.

Either way, take some time to reflect on your last experience. What held you back from getting it sold before? And what can you do to improve your chances this time around?

Be sure to include your agent in this thought process. They’ll give you an objective point of view and some advice based on what may have gone wrong last time, like:

• Your Pricing Strategy: Did buyers overlook your house because it was priced too high? Your real estate agent can help you analyze the latest sales in your area to make sure you’re hitting the right number. Believe it or not, you could actually be leaving money on the table by not pricing competitively. When it’s priced appropriately for the market, your opportunities for multiple offers and buyer competition increase.

• Your Marketing Approach: Was your home staged to look its best? Did you use a skilled photographer for your listing photos? Small tweaks can make a big difference in how buyers see your house. Something as simple as taking new photos now that it’s spring can help your house show better than it did in the winter listing.

• Offering Concessions: Were you willing to offer incentives to buyers? As the supply of homes for sale grows, more sellers are entertaining the idea of concessions or incentives to get the deal done. If you weren’t open to those conversations, that may have been a factor, too.

• Showings and Flexibility: Did you have limits on when buyers could see the home? If your house is accessible and available, you’ll likely get more offers.

Bottom Line

If your house didn’t sell last year, spring may be your second chance. With buyer activity rising, it’s the perfect time to talk to an agent about coming back into the market with a fresh strategy.

What do you want to do differently this time around? Talk to your agent to go over your options and make a plan.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

Related Links

• This Is the #1 Spring Cleaning Task You Should Always Start With, Pros Say

• Top Tips To Deal With a Bidding War During Home Selling Season—and Knowing When To Exit

• Rising Inventory Means This Spring Could Be Your Moment

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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This Is the #1 Spring Cleaning Task You Should Always Start With, Pros Say

Spring cleaning season is upon us! If you're ready to shake off the winter doldrums and tame the dust bunnies, you'll want to strategize your spring cleaning to give yourself the best chance of success. Well, you're in luck! Check out how cleaning experts kick off their big spring clean—so you can successfully refresh your space.

The First Spring Cleaning Task to Take on: Proper Preparation

If you don't have a spring cleaning game plan, you may end up either wasting time, or not getting to everything that you need to get done. So Katrina Teeple, professional organizer and founder of Operation Organization, says that the very first order of business should be taking key prep steps to ensure a successful spring clean.

Restock your cleaning supplies

Take a look over your cleaning tools and products, and make sure you have everything that you need to tackle it all. "Nothing kills momentum like realizing you’re out of supplies mid-scrub," Teeple says.

Think of it like your first-day-of-school prep. She starts with new sponges, a homemade lemon-infused vinegar (just soak cut-up lemons in a jar of white vinegar for a few days), natural dish soap, and baking soda.

Make a motivational to-do list

Take a tour of your home to look for places that are especially cluttered or grungy, and prioritize your list accordingly. "Add tasks that'll really make your home feel fresh—like wiping down cabinets, hiring someone to clean your carpets, rotating kids' seasonal clothes, or rearranging a space to make it more functional," Teeple says.

And don't bite off more than you can chew—stick with what you can realistically accomplish in the time you have. "If you work outside the home or have a full schedule, don’t pressure yourself to do everything at once. Spring cleaning should feel good and can be done over a couple of months—so pace yourself with a realistic list."

Declutter first

Take time to declutter each space before you spring clean it for an instant refresh. "Trying to clean around clutter is like mopping with muddy shoes on—it just doesn’t work," Teeple says. "A quick edit of each space before deep cleaning makes everything faster and more effective." Teeple suggests taking an hour or two to go around the house with a laundry basket for donations and a trash bag to help clear your space before you dig in with the deep clean.

Choose the First Room to Tackle Strategically

A room-by-room approach tends to be the most successful cleaning approach, whether you're doing a deep declutter or a spring clean. It allows you to see and enjoy the newly cleaned space—which helps you feel motivated to take on the next one.

Teeple suggests two potential targets for the first room to spring clean: the entryway and the kitchen.

Entryway = quick win

The entryway is a fast and easy place to start, and it's a room that gets a lot of traffic. "It’s the first thing you see when you walk in and the last thing you pass through when leaving, so it sets the tone for your entire home," Teeple says. "A decluttered, clean entry makes the whole house feel lighter, and makes everyday life smoother."

When you're tackling this spot, here's what should be on your spring cleaning to-do list, according to Teeple:

• Swap out winter coats and boots for sneakers and lighter layers. You can even add a hat and sunscreen!

• Declutter hooks, baskets, and drop zones; bags, keys, and mail pile up fast.

• Wipe down walls, doors, and baseboards for marks—high-traffic areas collect scuffs and dust.

• Sanitize doorknobs and light switches.

• Shake out rugs and wash doormats to clean off dirt.

• Dust and wipe down lighting fixtures.

Kitchen = MVP

If you'd rather give the heart of the home your first-priority spring cleaning energy, Teeple says the kitchen is the other best option for a first strike. "Because it gets used constantly, the kitchen benefits the most from a deep clean. A refreshed kitchen has a ripple effect, making the whole house feel more organized."

If you're planning to tackle the kitchen first, start this way:

• Clear the countertops and remove as many things as possible. "It’s okay to put away even things you use often. Plus, fewer items out means faster daily cleaning in the future."

• Deep clean the small stuff, such as wiping down smoothie drips from the blender, vacuuming out utensil drawers, and scrubbing the sink and soaking the garbage disposal.

• Declutter your fridge and pantry, removing expired food and organizing by category.

Read more at Real Simple

Related Links

• A growing Fannie Mae ‘blacklist’ is paralyzing home sales

• Top Tips To Deal With a Bidding War During Home Selling Season—and Knowing When To Exit

• Rising Inventory Means This Spring Could Be Your Moment

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Rising Inventory Means This Spring Could Be Your Moment

Want to know two reasons this spring might finally be your time to buy? Inventory has grown and sellers may be more willing to negotiate as a result. That means you’ve got more options and more power than buyers have had in years. Let’s break it down.

1. You Have More Homes To Choose From

The number of homes for sale this February was higher than it’s been in any of the past five Februarys – and that’s great news for your home search. The graph below uses the latest data from Realtor.com to show the supply of homes on the market has grown by 27.5% in just the last year:

More choices for your search is a good thing – and experts also say that inventory is projected to continue rising this year, which is even better. It means it should be easier to find something that checks your most important boxes. But that’s not all this does for you. Danielle Hale, Chief Economist at Realtor.com, explains some of the other perks of more inventory, beyond just having more homes to consider:

“Buyers will not only have more home options . . . but they are also likely to find somewhat lower asking prices and more time to make decisions – all buyer-friendly factors as we inch closer to the busy homebuying season.”

2. You May Find Sellers Are Doing Price Cuts

Now that buyers have more options, some homes are sitting on the market a little longer – especially those that were priced too high from the start. And the result is more sellers are having to drop their prices to draw buyers back in. Just take a look at the numbers.

According to Realtor.com, the number of listings with price reductions has gone up compared to the last few years (see graph below):

This is a sign sellers are more willing to compromise today. If you look back to more normal years in the market (2017–2019), you’ll see that the number of price cuts happening today is much closer to what’s typical – and for most buyers, that’s a big relief.

What does that mean for you? It could give you a better chance to negotiate – whether that’s on price, closing costs, or even repairs. While not every seller will adjust their price, more of them are willing to do it – giving you more leverage than buyers have in quite a while.

Bottom Line

If you’ve been on the sidelines, waiting for the right time to buy, this spring could be the opening you’ve been hoping for.

Of course, every market is different, and working with a local expert can help you work through your options. If you want to talk about what’s happening in your area or get started on your home search, connect with a local real estate agent.

Read more at Keeping Current Matters

Related Links

• A growing Fannie Mae ‘blacklist’ is paralyzing home sales

• Top Tips To Deal With a Bidding War During Home Selling Season—and Knowing When To Exit

• Mortgage applications climb as rates continue to decline

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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Top Tips To Deal With a Bidding War During Home Selling Season—and Knowing When To Exit

More homes will soon start to flood the market with the best time to sell coming up in a few weeks—and for those homebuyers wanting to secure their dream home, it's best to go in with a game plan.

If there's a home that you're interested in, chances are you're not alone. That's when a bidding war could happen, and you don't want to go over budget.

A bidding war happens when two or more parties compete for the same property by making offers. Each party will give its offer to the home's seller, and many times, it ends up driving up the final price well above asking.

The actual bidding process can happen quickly, and you need to go in prepared with how much you're willing to spend, what concessions you're willing to make, and knowing when to exit and walk away from the property.

How to win a bidding war

Money talks, and the person who bids the most money usually wins the bidding war.

Before you up the ante on what you think you can offer, you need to go through a checklist. Make sure you are pre-approved for a mortgage, have enough cash for a down payment, can afford to make a competitive offer, and think about the contingencies you're willing to give up, such as certain inspections.

"Win bidding wars by meeting seller preferences, not just price," says real estate expert Danny Johnson, owner of Danny Buys Houses. "Set a max bid to know when to exit, ensuring a financially sound decision."

Sellers usually prefer buyers who pay in all cash versus someone who will be financing through a mortgage. That's not always the case, but it's good to keep in mind when you're ready to buy.

LBC Mortgage CEO Alex Shekhtman suggests escalation clauses and seller perks to win bids.

An escalation clause is a section in a real estate contract that says a potential buyer is willing to increase their offer on a home if the seller receives a higher competing offer. When it comes to offering seller perks, faster closings and contingency-free offers are a plus.

In other words, if a buyer is making an offer on a new home contingent on selling their old home, chances are the buyer may lose out to the person who comes with an all-cash offer and can close quickly.

If and when you're ready to make contingencies, you need to make sure that forgoing an inspection is really worth it.

Shekhtman advises against overbidding and waiving inspections. He emphasizes "staying logical to avoid costly mistakes in the competitive homebuying process."

Remember, a home inspection checks the quality and safety of a property that's going to be sold. An inspector looks at all structural aspects of a home, its heating and cooling systems, plumbing, electrical, water, and sewage, to make sure everything is working properly. The property is also checked for fire and safety issues, damages, and anything that can affect its value.

Knowing when to exit

According to the latest weekly housing trend view from Realtor.com®, newly listed inventory grew for the ninth consecutive week. This signals that sellers are gaining confidence with listing their homes.

If you find a property you like, you need to know your budget, and if the price exceeds it, that's when you need to walk away. This will help you avoid any financial hardship or stretching your budget in the future.

For those looking to buy or sell, our economists identified the best time to sell—and that's the week of April 13. That best week offers higher-than-average home prices and buyer demand, met with lower-than-average competition from other sellers. The number of buyers browsing a listing can determine how many offers a home gets and how quickly it sells. The more buyers looking at a home, the better for the seller.

Read more at Realtor.com

Related Links

• A growing Fannie Mae ‘blacklist’ is paralyzing home sales

• 6 Retro Decor Trends That Are Making a Groovy Comeback in 2025

• Mortgage applications climb as rates continue to decline

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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A growing Fannie Mae ‘blacklist’ is paralyzing home sales

A growing problem is preventing condominium owners from selling their properties. Many condos are being added to a “blacklist” by Fannie Mae due to the properties not having enough insurance or needing major repairs.

If a condo is on this list, it’s significantly harder for prospective buyers to get a mortgage, making it nearly impossible to sell.

Recent coverage from the Wall Street Journal detailed several sellers’ experiences when attempting to close listings due to the blacklist, which is maintained by Fannie and includes properties that the GSE deems inadequate in terms of property insurance or repairs.

This blacklist became more of a prevalent issue after the 2021 deadly Surfside condo collapse in Florida. Insurance premium crises across the country in places like California, Texas and Florida are exacerbating the costs associated with locking in coverage.

As a result, more and more condos are failing to meet Fannie Mae’s requirements, which are strict about the level of insurance needed. WSJ found that 5,175 properties fail to meet Fannie Mae’s standards.

To lower high insurance costs, many condo associations are choosing cheaper, limited insurance policies. The downside is that many of those pared-down policies don’t meet Fannie and Freddie Mac’s standards

Insurers and regulators agree that climate risks could threaten mortgage borrowers’ creditworthiness and wallets, with soaring premiums and sticker shock leading to dropped deals in weather-event-stricken states. Some lenders and insurers have abandoned markets altogether.

WSJ showcased Shadow Ridge, a Los Angeles-based condo complex that was blacklisted in December due to its shared insurance policy with other complexes, which Fannie Mae rejects. Getting a separate policy for the complex, which is within a brushfire area, would increase monthly homeowner fees from $570 to over $1,100, WSJ reported.

A spokesperson for Fannie told WSJ its requirements are designed to “help protect borrowers from physically unsafe or financially unstable projects,” and disagreed with the characterization of Fannie’s database of projects as a blacklist but rather an online tool. Freddie Mac also denied having a list.

Read more at Housingwire

Related Links

• Greater Denver Area Real Estate Market Report from February 2025

• 6 Retro Decor Trends That Are Making a Groovy Comeback in 2025

• Mortgage applications climb as rates continue to decline

If there is a home that you would like more information about, if you are considering selling a property, or if you have questions about the housing market in your neighborhood, please reach out. We’re here to help.

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