Most people believe that the optimal time to list your house is in the spring, but this logic doesn’t necessarily ring true for the waterfront property market. There is no question that spring is the busiest real estate market especially on East Tennessee lakes; but, depending on your home’s features, there may be a better time to list.
In truth, lake homes sell year-round, so there really isn’t a bad time; but some times are better than others for certain types of homes. Here are some considerations for the timing of your lakefront or access listing.
Most lake buyers want a view of the lake. The better the view, the higher the price tag. If you only have a seasonal lake view, you should definitely list after the leaves are off the trees, usually starting in late November. If that time of year doesn’t work for you, talk to your lake specialist about taking lake pictures when the view is the best. Then, when the listing does start, at least you will be able to show the seasonal view.
Tellico Lake only loses 4-6 ft of water during winter months; year round boating and views is one of the many attractive features about this lake for buyers. However, homes in coves with shallow water docks usually appear to lose more water than a main channel house. Typically, the lake is higher in the summer; so, that might be the best season for your sale. You want your cove or waterfront to look as deep as possible, so it makes sense to take advantage of the highest lake levels. Either way, don’t forget to keep your shoreline clean and tidy from branches and debris.
If your house falls into the hard-to-sell category for any reason, you may not want to list in the spring. Yes, there are more buyers, but there are also more sellers. Your house will be compared to a higher number of competitive lake properties and may not show favorably in that comparison. Believe it or not, the best time to sell a home with problems is often in the cold-weather months. Why? Because people who brave the cold are serious buyers looking to see winter conditions and ready with checkbooks in-hand. They have fewer homes to choose from, so they are often less picky.
Another category to consider is the location of your lake home, are you remote area or in a lake community like Rarity Bay on Tellico Lake, or Grande Vista Bay on Watts Bar Lake? Some of these communities have a certain type of buyer looking for a forever home with amenities, some looking to build new construction.
The take-away from all this is that there is not just one best time to list a lake house. View, water depth, community, and interest by a type of buyers can matter, so you need to decide when is the best time to showcase your unique homes features. If you’re unclear to what time is best to list your East Tennessee lake home, talk to our Lake Team today!
In todays market, there is a huge shortage of lake homes; the demand is much greater than the supply available. If you’ve been looking at our recent listings page then you’d know just how fast lake homes are selling. We know the buying patterns for lake homes like yours and have qualified buyers ready to act now!
Posted by Polly Harrison, Lakefront Living Realty TN
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