Winter Weather Woes For Home Sales

Colorado Springs distressed properties The unusually severe winter weather, which has battered many parts of the country in recent months, has also had a significant impact on an already distressed housing market. With torrential rain and sweeping snowstorms causing chaos on the roads, prompting widespread power outages and repeated school closures, the disruptive conditions have spelt bad news for sluggish real estate across the nation. Analysts, from coast to coast, reported continued drops in sales of existing homes, and perhaps more significantly, delays in the commencement of new housing projects. Many northern regions experienced considerably intense winter conditions, while other, less expected states as Florida and Arizona, found themselves on the receiving end of unprecedented meteorological mayhem. Even such places as Boulder, Colorado, which is more than used to dealing with its fare share of snow, found the going tough. And with forecasters' predictions of further falls yet to come, this season could turn out to be the snowiest ever recorded in Boulder. Of course, home sales are always expected to be slower in many areas of the country during the winter months. The onset of spring generally sees both actual, and metaphorical, thaws; and a resultant increase in real estate interest. So, with summer just around the corner, housing experts are optimistic that a combination of improvements in the weather, and a rush to complete sales contracts before the home buyer tax credit expires, might just give the market a much needed boost. With this in mind, anyone wishing to selling a home, should consider that now is the perfect time to start thinking about getting their property on the market. As the evenings get lighter and the days warmer, those essential little makeovers can finally be done. These may include giving a room, or two, a new coat of paint, or tidying up the front yard, to improve that all-important curb appeal. Meanwhile, those in the market to buy, will doubtless be preparing to search for their new home, as the weather becomes more conducive to getting out to view properties. In these technological times, the vast majority of potential buyers conduct their initial searches on the internet, so it is important that sellers get their properties up for sale as early as possible. Buyers will often spend weeks checking out the market, before contacting an agent. With the majority of the winter weather behind us, and the optimism that spring so often brings, it appears as though things might just start to look a lot better in the coming months.