Sacramento Real Estate Blog

It’s not just turkey day, folks! And I thought I would come up with a few things that home buyers, home sellers and homeowners could do this Thanksgiving to brighten up the holiday spirit and also achieve their goals regarding their houses. Ready? Here we go!

For Home Buyers

Thanksgiving and other holidays are great times for home buyers, particularly because of all the visiting involved. The next time you are visiting one of your family or friends’ homes, be sure to get a good look around the neighborhood. The holidays are a good time to get an idea of what the neighborhood is like because people like to make their homes look the best around this time of year. The lawns are usually mowed and decorations have been put up. If even around the holidays the homes look derelict and abandoned, you will know what to expect. So, leave your house early, take that extra drive around the block (or two) and see if you can picture yourself in a place like this.

If you’re house-hunting, it also wouldn’t hurt to pick up a flyer or two while you’re out in a place you like. Take down addresses to follow up on later. Don’t worry if you think you can’t get that one particular home. Your mission at this point should be to get a feel for the locality, not fall in love with a specific home.

Ask your hosts questions! Find out more about what’s important to you. If you want information about schools, ask parents that live in the area, if there are any at the Thanksgiving dinner. If you tell your hosts you are looking for a home and love their neighborhood (especially if they’re relatives - and you’re on good terms!) they can do a little real estate scouting for you. I’ve had innumerable relatives and friends show up at Open Houses I have held at listings over the years. Enlist the help of your friends, and who knows, you might end up being neighbors!

For Home Sellers

The holidays can be hard on home sellers. Leaving a home where you have good memories can be a bittersweet experience and then to have to throw holiday get-togethers in a home listed for sale can make things pretty tough. But - as many Realtors® will tell you - there is no need to hold off on decorating the place or getting in the mood of the holidays. If this is to be your last Christmas or Thanksgiving in this home, make it a great one. Besides, homes look even more inviting and warm when decorated. I would hold off on the Halloween decorations, but Thanksgiving’s warm and earthy tones are always pleasing to the eye. So go ahead, get into the holiday spirit.

As a home seller, making a home look warm and inviting can have another effect - it will distinguish the house from the bank-owned homes out there, something I have been advising home sellers to do for a while now. Not every buyer is interested in the cheapest house out there and owner-occupied houses are still selling. Make your buyer feel, er, at home, so to speak.

That being said, you might have to make a few adjustments. Potential home buyers are notorious for wanting to show up at odd times to view the home - in the middle of dinner, say. Feel free to let your Realtor® know if you will be having friends over on Thanksgiving day and keep the day to yourself. But, be sure to keep extra flyers on hand and in the listing box. Chances are, there will be visitors to your neighbors’ homes and if your house has especially great curb appeal, they will want to know more. Don’t let the potentials leave without at least a flyer to follow up on later. This might be the day someone decides to buy your home!

For Homeowners

As a homeowner, real estate news has been bad for you lately. All around, property values seem to be falling and you are probably eyeing that foreclosure down the street with some mixture of sadness and hate. If you feel like giving something back to your community and neighborhood you can head over and mow the lawn for that sad little REO. It might help the entire block look a little more kept up and might help the foreclosure sell - which in the long run can be good for your own home.

If the giving spirit doesn’t move you enough to head over to someone else’s home to mow the lawn, remember that the way you maintain your own house can affect property values on your street as well. It is sometimes a fortunate - and sometimes an unfortunate - reality of real estate that your neighbors literally cause the value of something you own and maintain to rise or fall. So it is almost your responsibility to take care of your house.

Okay, enough preaching. You know what I mean. Thanksgiving is the perfect holiday to take care of the little things that need fixing - check your smoke detectors (preferably before buying that huge Douglas Fir Christmas tree!) fix the leaky faucet and the other annoying little tasks that come with homeownership. I’ve learned it helps to set aside a day to take care of the maintenance issues. Then I like to bake cookies and sit back and enjoy the work done. The next day it’s decorating time! This is a great time for homeowners to enjoy their home, and not just for its financial value, but its emotional appeal as well. Take pleasure in its warmth and make some great new memories!

Well, that’s it from me for this Thanksgiving edition. I’m headed out of town to visit relatives. But if you’re considering buying a home this holiday season, you can always email us or call us and we’ll help you reach your goals! Have a happy Thanksgiving!