You love your home, your neighborhood and your neighbors. You love that you can get to work, school and the grocery store without much thought.

But... you need a bit more space.

So you start thinking about an addition. Maybe a larger family room, a primary suite, or an extra bedroom or two. You get some estimates, and it looks like it will cost about $100K.

Then, when we're talking about how much it will impact your home's value... we conclude that it will likely only add about $50K if you were to then sell your expanded home.

This difference in the cost and the returned value might make you second guess the whole idea of expanding your home. Why would you spend $100K to only get $50K of value?

A Less Than 100% Return Can Still Make Sense

It's easy to think every home improvement should pay for itself. But while many don't, that doesn't automatically make it a bad decision to move forward with the improvement.

If you love your home and your location, it might make sense to expand it even with a less than (even significantly less than) 100% return.

What's the Alternative?

Presumably, the alternative would be to sell your home and buy a larger one.  But that comes with its own costs... the cost of selling your current home, the cost of buying the next one, the cost of moving, and the cost of any updates or changes you want to make to your new home.

Add all of that up, and you might find that you would spend that same $50K (or more) that you "lost" by adding on to your current home.  Plus, you'd be giving up a home and a location you already love.

The Best Larger Home Might Be the One You Already Own

This won't be the right answer for everyone –– as sometimes a lot doesn't have enough room for an addition, or the existing layout makes it tricky, or a move makes more sense for other reasons.

But with some frequency... the best larger home to buy is the home you already own, expanded to be larger.

If you're weighing whether to add on or move up, I'm happy to talk through what an addition might do to your home's value and what a move might cost you.
  

Plenty of people (everyone?) would love for housing to be more affordable for those looking to buy a home.

But... here's the tricky part...

Affordability mostly comes down to two things... home values... and mortgage interest rates.  

Thus, generally, housing will only get more affordable if home prices go down, if mortgage interest rates go down, or both.

Everyone would love it if mortgage interest rates would drop meaningfully, but that does not seem to be a likely reality over the next year or two.

And...if interest rates stay roughly where they are now... then the only way for housing to become any more affordable is for... home values to go down.

This is the tricky part.

Clearly, people hoping to buy want housing to be more affordable... but many people who currently own a home also say they wish housing were more affordable. 

But... if asked whether they'd be fine with their own home's value dropping by $50K or $100K, the answer is typically a pretty quick.... well of course not.

That's understandable. For many or most families, their home is their largest financial asset, and they aren't that excited about its value dropping significantly.

Which leaves us with the conundrum... how serious are you about wanting housing to be more affordable?  Serious enough to be fine with your home's value significantly decreasing?

It is unrealistic, after all, to think that housing could be more affordable for new buyers without current homeowners seeing a decline in their home's value.

It's hard to have it both ways.
  

It can be tempting to try to simplify home value down to a price per square foot.  That 2500 SF home sold for $500K, so my 2500 SF home will also sell for $500K, right?

Well, maybe.

There are almost always a lot of other variables that will result in different values for two homes of the same size.

For example...

1.  Is the square footage equally distributed between above grade and below grade in both houses?

2.  Are the actual ages of the homes the same?

3.  Are the effective ages of the homes the same relative to system updates?

4.  Do the homes have similar exteriors from an architectural interest and building material perspective?

5.  Are the interior finishes and fixtures just as updated (or not updated) in both homes?

6.  Do the two homes share the same lot topography as it relates to accessibility for vehicles or for outdoor fun in a backyard?

7.  Do the homes have the same inside/outside living space when it comes to decks, porches, screened porches, etc.?

8.  Do the homes have the same amount of unfinished square footage?

You get the idea... homes of a similar size, even in the same neighborhood, can sell for very different sales prices.

So, sometimes a price per square foot is a helpful metric, but more often than not the value of one house vs. another (even of a similar size) is more nuanced than the square footage alone would suggest.

 

The speed of... everything... has accelerated over the past 10 years.  

Order something online today, receive it tomorrow.

Don't wait a week for each new episode of a show, watch them all now.

Instead of leaving a voicemail and getting a call back a few hours later, send a text and you'll receive a reply within minutes.

And... for a while... the speed of selling your house was falling in line with this everything is speedy mentality.

Buyer demand ramped up between 2019 and 2021, causing homes to sell at a faster and faster and faster pace.

As we continued through 2022 and even all the way into 2025, most homes were selling quickly.  Very quickly.

List your home on a Monday, have multiple offers by Wednesday, be under contract by Friday.

And perhaps, homeowners came to expect that to be the new, forever, speed of selling a home.

But... it's not always playing out that way any longer.  Some homes are going under contract quickly, in a matter of days, with multiple offers.  Plenty of other homes are taking a few weeks, or even (gasp) a few months to go under contract.

This new pace of our market is certainly in large part due to higher home prices and higher mortgage interest rates – but I think this "slower" pace is also just comparatively slower.  We got used to a market speed that was not normal and it was not realistic to think that market pace would continue indefinitely.

So... when you list your home for sale... I hope it's under contract in a matter of days, but that might not be a reasonable expectation for all homes in all price ranges and in all locations.

  

The price you are willing to pay for a house might sometimes just come down to the facts, figures and logic of the market.

Similar houses sold for $420K, $425K and $430K?  Then, it's probably reasonably to pay between $420K and $430K.  If you can get the house for $415K, great!  If you have to pay $435K, that's not the end of the world.

But... sometimes more than facts, figures and logic are at play.

If you happen upon the perfect house... exactly what you're looking for... everything that you hoped for... but the seller is stuck on selling it at a price that comparable sales don't support... what will you do?

The comps say $420K to $430K.  The seller wants to sell for $460K and in the end will only come down to $450K.

If the house is that perfect for you, and perhaps much more perfect than any of the other houses we have explored... then you might (reasonably) be willing to pay the seller's price ($450K) even if it is not a price supported by recent comparable sales.

  

As shown on the graph above, the median home price has been rising a lot more quickly over the past 40 years than the median household income

Back in 1985, the median home price was about 3.5 times the median household income.  Today, it's about 5 times the median household income.

Read more over here...

How Housing Prices and Incomes Changed in the U.S. Between 1985 and 2025

Though, keep in mind, those are based on nationwide medians.

Locally, the median household income is $76,570 and the median home price is $328,800.  That a multiple of 4.3, so slightly more affordable than that nationwide average noted above.

    

Plenty of people live (own homes) in Old Town Harrisonburg... and plenty of people live (rent apartments) in Downtown Harrisonburg.

What if we could combine the two... homeownership... right in the heart of downtown Harrisonburg?

Harrisonburg Downtown Renaissance has been receiving inquiries about the availability of condos in the downtown historic district.

There aren't any.

Thus, they (HDR) are gathering feedback via a survey to try to shed some light on whether there would be interest in buying a condo in downtown Harrisonburg.

You can fill out the survey (Google Form) over here.

   

So, you've been planning a home purchase in neighborhood X, Y or Z sometime over the next few months.

Thus, you've been monitoring sales prices...

You're starting to see a pattern in this (totally unrealistic) market subset (where almost all homes are identical)...

All the homes are selling for between $600K and $620K.

Nice, you can afford that, though you'd love to pay a bit less.

And then... another home comes on the market for $575K.

Wow!  This is great, but you're not ready to buy yet.  A few weeks go by.  Another few weeks.  The $575K house is still available, though it is also the only house on the market in the neighborhoods in question.

You're starting to wonder if the market has reset in some way, and if all homes will now be priced around $575K instead of $600K to $620K.

Then, just as you're getting ready to consider an offer... the $575K house goes under contract.  Darn!

Two weeks later... when you're still ready to buy...three houses come on the market, in the neighborhoods of interest, priced at $605K, $610K and $620K.

So... what do you do?

Do you offer $575K on one of the houses, and if that offer is rejected, do so on the second, and then on the third?  Do you insist that you will now only pay $575K for a house because of "the one" that was available at that price?

You can... but if a seller isn't willing to go along with that narrative, it might be a long wait before you are buying a house.

Just because a great price (compared to other recent sales prices) is available on one house... that doesn't mean it will continue to be available on future listings if that one house goes under contract.

So, if it's a great price, you might want to go ahead and move forward with purchasing the great house at the great price.

   

Perhaps you moved into your home 20 years ago... and you lovingly updated the landscaping around the exterior of your home.  Excellent!  It has probably looked wonderful over the years.

However... depending on what you plant... those plants and trees have likely kept on growing, and growing, and growing.  Sometimes, to the point of overwhelming the house!

Typically, the problem isn't age, it's size.  A small shrub that was just two feet tall about 20 years ago could be eight foot tall today... obscuring a window, pushing up against the outside of the house, with roots possibly heading towards a foundation wall or sidewalk.

Since you have lived in your home for 20 years, you might not realize how much the landscaping has grown, and how it makes the rest of the house look – but a prospective buyer who has never visited your home before will notice right away.

Overgrown foundation plantings don't typically come across as mature and stately... but rather overgrown and requiring too much work.

So, what to do, what to do?

Occasionally, we might need to take everything out and start over... but more often it is a matter of trimming things back... or maybe take a few shrubs or trees out, trim some others, and plant a few new plants.

Mature trees and landscaping can be an asset when selling your home... but let's make sure they haven't outgrown the space.

We're rolling into the second half of September... which means... if you want your home to sell this year (2026) then you should be taking action soon.

Late September = prepare and photograph

Early October = on the market

Late October = under contract (or November)

Late November = sold (or December)

Today = adjust pricing, presentation or marketing

Late September = under contract (or October, or November)

Late October = sold (or November, or December)

The main things to remember are that...

1.  Every home is not going under contract immediately upon hitting the market.

2.  It typically takes 30 to 60 days to get to closing once under contract.

So... if you want to sell your home in 2026... we should be making (and finalizing) a plan very soon!

  

If you've been watching homes hit the market in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County over the past few months, you might have noticed that some (but not all) pricing is seeming more realistic... some (but not all) sellers are starting to price their homes a bit more conservatively than they were a few years ago.

For a while there, "aspirational pricing" was all the rage. List a home a bit higher than recent comps suggest, and wait for the buyers to storm in, making offers, so many offers, often with escalation clauses.

For a while, worked. Buyers didn't have many options, the competition for nice houses in nice locations was strong, and a slightly ambitious list price didn't always scare off buyers.

But, things are shifting a bit.

We've seen a slow few months of contract activity and sales activity in the local market... and now some sellers are no longer asking... how high can be go on price... but rather... what price is appropriate to ensure my house will be under contract within the next month.

While this all varies based on price range, property type and location... for almost all sellers in the current market... it is more important than ever to price your home realistically, based on recent comparable sales, instead of putting an aspirational price tag on your home, hoping someone will bite.

  

This is how the average mortgage interest rate has trended over the past three years...

August 2023 = 7.18%

August 2024 = 6.35%

August 2025 = 6.56%

August 2026 = 6.66%

The lowest rate we've seen over the past three years has been 5.98% and the highest has been 7.79%.

So... if you're looking to buy a home today... and you're not sure about committing to a home purchase with a mortgage interest rate of 6.66% or 6.75%... keep in mind that we are not likely to see significantly lower rates in the near future.

Some economists predict that we could see mortgage interest rates at or below 6.5% by year end or in 2027... but there aren't many that are predicting interest rates at or below 6% by the end of this year or during 2027.

So, if you don't like the current rate of 6.75% and you're waiting for 6.5%... that's one thing.  If you're waiting for 6% or 5.75%... that might be a long wait.

  

The median sales price of detached homes in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County has increased 2% over the past year.

You own a detached home in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County.

So... your home value has increased 2% over the past year... right?

Well, maybe.

Trends in our overall market can be helpful for providing insight into the ways in which our overall market is changing... but those overall trends are not usually specifically and accurately descriptive of how a single home's value has changed over time.

So... if you're thinking about selling your home and thus you are curious whether your home value has increased 2% over the past year... or if it has increased 5%... or if it has decreased 5%... then we ought to look at the most recent sales of comparable homes.  That will more quickly dial into the real trends in your corner of the local market.

So, is it helpful to know about overall market trends?  I think so.  

Is knowing those overall trends going to tell you everything you need to know about your home and its value?  Probably not.

  

Happy Monday Morning, friends!

I hope you had a wonderful weekend and are looking forward to the week ahead.  Technically, it's still summer (by the calendar, and the temperatures) but fall is just around the corner... and I'm looking forward to it!

The past two weekends have been fun with the return of some home JMU football games!

The photo above is actually from the first home game... and the skies look remarkably blue compared to the very stormy weather leading up to the game.  In the second game of the season, I never had a chance to take a photo as I had to keep popping back up to cheer for yet another score from JMU on their way to a record–breaking final tally of 87–3.  What a game, and what a fun start to the season!  Go Dukes!

In other news, I'm still trying to stay young by participating in some fun local road races put on by VA Momentum.  

This was the JMU 9/11 5K, honoring student heroes.  Quite a few JMU students run in this race, and so I ended up crossing the finish line just after a college student and gave him a fist bump as we both tried to catch our breath.  I told him "great race" and he responded with something long the lines of... "you too, and wow, you should be really proud."  It took me a few minutes (post–race fatigue and all) to realize he was calling me old.  ;–)  Ah well, it was fun nonetheless, and it was great to have my nephew running in this race with me as well!

One other momentous life update... Emily headed off for her first year of college... with Shaena and I sort of being empty–nesters, though the dogs keep us from getting too lonely.

Having shared way more than usual, I'll now quickly jump into a few usual monthly highlights before hitting the latest data on our local housing market...

Now, onto the latest in our local real estate market, starting with how many home sales are taking place these days...

August was (as the headline suggests) slower than usual... with a 14% decline in the number of homes that are selling.  Later on, we'll get to contract activity, where we'll also see a decline.

Though, as noted above, we have still seen more home sales over the past 12 months than we did in the prior 12 months.  So, the longer–term trend is still positive (more home sales) but we have been seeing a slow down of late.

Meanwhile, prices are staying relatively level...

As shown above, while we're seeing a 1% increase in the August vs. August median sales price... and virtually no change in the six months vs. the same timeframe a year ago... we are seeing a 1% decline in the median sales price when comparing the past 12 months ($345K) to the 12 months before that ($349K) in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County.  Keep in mind, however, this is all homes (detached and attached, new and resale) and I'll get into some sub–markets shortly.

Finally, when looking at the overall market, how quickly are homes selling?

Bold and exciting headline –– time on market increase 14%.  Real news –– the median days on market increased from 7 days to 8 days over the past year.  So, yes, homes are selling a bit more slowly, but not drastically so.

Now, breaking things down a bit, here's a look at just detached homes, ignoring townhomes, duplexes and condos...

When looking just at detached homes, we see that over the past year there have been slightly fewer (–1%) sales of such homes, and the median sales price has risen slightly (+2%) from $390K to $399K.  So, a somewhat different story than in the overall market.  When looking just at detached homes, prices are rising, slightly.

Another helpful metric to watch is only resale (existing) homes...

The chart above excludes new homes... and can provide a helpful perspective on our resale marketplace for homes.  Here you'll note that there has actually been a modest (+6%) increase in the number of existing homes that are selling, and here is that same small increase (+2%) in the median sales price of existing homes, from $350,000 to $357,500.

So, while the overall market (detached+attached, existing+new) is showing a slight decline (–1%) in median sales prices, the detached and existing segments of the market are showing a slight (+2%) increase in prices.

Here, then, is a visual on monthly home sales activity...

You'll note (above) that every month this year between January and July showed more home sales than last year... until August.  After that seven month streak, there were only 115 home sales in August, as compared to 133 last year.  Stay tuned for what we'll see in September and October.

And yet, despite a slow August...

Indeed, we are currently on track to see the most home sales in a year that we have seen for the past three years.  But... maybe a slower August and September will take the wind out of the sails of the 2026 market?  Just a few more graphs and we'll get to contract activity to try to predict that answer.

First, the overall trajectory of our market, focusing on the median sales price of detached homes...

Between 2019 and 2024 (a span of five years) the median sales price of detached homes increased 62%.  Wow!  And over the past two years it has only increased a total of 3%.  So, we're definitely seeing a different trajectory in price changes over time right now, but thus far, it's still moving (slowly) in an upward direction.

And now... contract activity...

It should come as no surprise that there we saw low numbers of August home sales... and we should probably expect to see similarly low numbers of September home sales.  Over the past four months we have seen 438 contracts signed... as compared to 524 contracts signed in the same timeframe last year.  So, contract activity has been quite a bit slower over the past few months, which is now showing itself in slower months of sales activity.

And thus, unsurprisingly....

If fewer buyers contract to buy homes, it leaves the possibility that inventory levels will rise... and they have.  We have seen mostly rising inventory levels over the past six months.  Technically, this is not surprising compared to last year (blue line above) and the average of the past four years (grey line above) and our current inventory levels are actually still lower than they were a year ago.

Finally, one clue to what might be causing at least part of this slow down in the local market...

Mortgage interest rates have been steadily rising over the past six months and are now even higher (6.76%) than shown above where they were 6.66% at the end of August.  Higher mortgage interest rates = higher monthly mortgage payments = slightly less buyer ability and/or willingness to buy a home.  

So, what does all of this mean for you?

Big Picture – We're seeing home sales activity slow a bit, and inventory rise a bit, but prices are still rising, slowly, in most segments of the market.

Home Buyers – You might have slightly more choices (higher inventory) but double check your potential mortgage payment to make sure you are comfortable with how it fits into your budget.  Plenty of homes are still going under contract quickly, but some are sitting around for a bit, giving you time to decide whether to make an offer.

Home Sellers – Price your home very, very realistically, and be ready to move forward with a buyer who makes an offer with reasonable terms.

Thinking About It – If you are considering a home purchase, or are thinking about selling your home, let me know if you'd like to chat about the market and the process.   You can reach me by phone/text at 540–578–0102 or by email here.

Until next month, I hope you enjoy your week ahead and the eventual cooling temperatures as we head towards what is certain to be a delightful fall season in the Shenandoah Valley!

  

Let's go on a bit of a journey into the past...

10 Years Ago = Occasional escalation clauses, some home sale contingencies.

The market was moving steadily, but we weren't frequently seeing bidding wars with escalation clauses.  Thus, offers with home sale contingencies were typically being evaluated in isolation, not at the same time as another offer without one.

5 Years Ago = So many escalation clauses, very few home sale contingencies.

The market was hot, hot, hot.  It was the norm to be competing against other buyers, so many (or most?) offers had escalation clauses.  Because the market was moving so quickly, buyers would rarely make an offer with a home sale contingencies.

Now = Some escalation clauses, some some home sale contingencies.

We're in an interesting spot now.  We are sometimes seeing multiple offers.  We are sometimes seeing escalation clauses.  We are sometimes seeing home sale contingencies.

Thus, I think it is reasonable for a buyer without a home sale contingency – but with an escalation clause – to carefully consider whether they want their offer to escalate as a result of a competing offer with a home sale contingency.

Home is listed for $500K.

You make an offer of $500K.

You hear that another offer has been received.  (You don't know it at the time... but it has an escalation clause up to $525K and it has a home sale contingency.)

You adjust your offer to have an escalation clause up to $525K.

All of a sudden... you're paying $525K for the house... all because of the other offer that the seller almost certainly would not have accepted anyhow, because of the home sale contingency.

The seller might really want you to escalate to $525K regardless of whether they would have accepted the other offer, because there was a competing buyer that wanted to pay $525K.  

But... if the seller wouldn't have accepted that other offer, do you want to pay $525K?  Or does your original offer of $500K seem more reasonable.

Given this new market reality (depending on the price range, location, property type, etc.) of some escalation clauses and some home sale contingencies...

1.  Consider asking whether an offer that a seller has received has a home sale contingency.  You might or might not get an answer.

2.  Consider tailoring your escalation clause to either only escalate against other offers without home sale contingencies... or... to escalate differently based on whether the competing offer does or does not have a home sale contingency.

OK, admittedly, that was a lot.  We'll talk this through when you're ready to make an offer.  For now, just some more food for thought.  

  

Your showing to offer ratio can help you decide how to respond in various situations when selling your home.

First, what do I mean by your showing to offer ratio?

I simply mean how many showings have you had and how does that compare to how many offers you have.  

Have you had ten showings and you now have one offer?  That's a 10:1 showing to offer ratio.

Have you had four showings and you now have two offers?  That's a 2:1 showing to offer ratio.

Here's an example of how this can inform some of your decision making...

You receive a strong offer but you have another showing tomorrow... should you wait to see whether that buyer wants to make an offer too?

What is your showing to offer ratio?

If you have a 15:1 showing to offer ratio (you've had 15 showings and only one offer) then you probably don't need to wait for that one last showing to see if the 16th buyer wants to make an offer.

If you have a 3:2 showing to offer ratio (six showings, four offers) then you might decide to wait and see if that 7th buyer wants to make an offer too.

If you have a 1:1 showing to offer ratio (one showing, one offer) you might wait for that second showing... depending on how long your house has been on the market.  If it has been on the market for a month, then perhaps you accept the offer in hand, but if it has been on the market for six hours, then you should probably wait to let the second buyer look at the home.

Keep your showing to offer ratio in mind when deciding how to think about showings that are yet to take place when you have an offer in hand.

  

First... full disclosure... I represent the builder at Congers Creek.  With that disclaimer, let me tell why I'm excited about the options buyers have for customizing their home at Congers Creek.

When most people think about buying a new construction home these days, they picture walking into a builder's office and choosing between "Package A" or "Package B." Maybe you'll get to pick a paint color from three swatches. That's it.

At Congers Creek the process is quite different.

Once you are under contract to buy at Congers Creek, you'll get to select your cabinets, countertops, flooring, paint color, and a long list of upgrade options that go way beyond the basics.

Want a farmhouse sink instead of the standard? Done. Shiplap on the living room wall? Sure. Crown moulding, a digital deadbolt, brushed gold hardware throughout, a finished bonus room with its own full bathroom? All of these are options. You can upgrade from granite to quartz countertops, upgrade to luxury vinyl plank instead of carpet, add a coffee bar with glass shelving... the list of upgrades allows you to design your own townhome from the ground up!

So... why does this matter?

The feedback we hear from many buyers is that in other new construction communities "customization" really means picking from three preset design palettes.  But at Congers Creek, you have an actual selections process and many upgrade options to give you so many choices for your new home.  

Beyond the customization aspect, Congers Creek is also a rather compelling community because of its location (just off Boyers Road, minutes from Sentara RMH, in the Cub Run Elementary school district) and because of the many community amenities such as a pavilion, grilling area, basketball hoop, playground, gazebo, and a dog park.

Plus, right now there's a $3,000 closing cost credit available if you use the builder's preferred lender and settlement agent.

If you've been assuming "new construction" means pick one of three designs but your townhome will still look like everyone else's –– then it's worth checking out Congers Creek.  Let me know if you'd like to check out the model home!

   

Phase 4 at Congers Creek will include 57 townhomes of three different styles...

Check out these new townhouses today at CongersCreek.com.

  

If you're getting ready to sell your home, a lot of our conversations will be focused around price, condition and marketing...

Price – We need to price your home reasonably based on recent sales prices of comparable homes.

Condition – We need to make sure your home is in optimal condition to appeal to the most buyers.

Marketing – We need to thoroughly, professionally, broadly market your home to expose it to the widest pool of potential buyers.

But... sometimes we can do all three of those things, extremely well, and your house still won't have gone under contract.

Any reasonable seller will wonder... why is my house still for sale?!?

Sometimes, it's just because a buyer for your home is not currently in the market to buy a home.  

So... remember, just because your home is priced appropriately, is in excellent condition and is wonderfully marketed... that doesn't guarantee that it will instantly go under contract.

And, as a reminder to buyers, if a listing of interest is still available for sale, but it seems to be priced well, prepared well, and marketed well – that doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong with the house.  It might just be waiting for the right buyer to come along – and that right buyer might be you.

  

When you're selling your house... if we're getting showings, an offer will likely come... but if showings aren't happening, we likely need to change something.

Showings are the leading indicator of the potential for an incoming offer. Clearly, before we are going to receive an offer, we're going to need to have buyers walking through your house.  Thus, if your home is having a steady stream of showings, that's usually a sign the market is responding well to your home and how it's positioned –– and it's usually just a matter of time before one of those showings turns into an offer.

But... no showings at all likely means something needs to be adjusted.

If your home has been on the market for a while and the showings just aren't happening... or if showings had been happening but have slowed down or completely stopped, we need to talk about why, and what's next.

Usually it comes down to one of a few things –– price, condition or marketing. Sometimes it's as simple as the price –– buyers are comparing your home to others in the area, and if it's priced above where it seems it should be priced, they won't come to look at your home.  Sometimes it's the condition of your home, as seen when driving by, or when scrolling through the interior photos.  And sometimes, we need to make changes in the marketing of your home to attract the right buyers.

If you're getting showings, wonderful!  If you're not seeing showings, or not seeing many of them, we likely need to adjust something to encourage future showing activity, and thus, the possibility of a forthcoming offer.
  

Thinking of selling your home this Fall?

Two solid months of home buying activity are still ahead of us... but the countdown is on...

The graph above shows the number of contracts signed per month in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County, averaged over the past four years.  September and October might actually surprise you in being just about as strong as June and July.

We're clearly not in the busier spring market when we're seeing about 130 or more homes going under contract a month... but September and October typically aren't too far behind... with an average of 117 in September and 109 in October.

But... right around the corner... we find November and December with average of 84 and 90 homes going under contract.

So, if you're planning to sell this Fall, let's get things moving sooner rather than later.  Buyers are still quite active in September and October... going to see houses, making offers and signing contracts.

If it's not on the market yet, you've missed the opportunity to list your home in August, but listing it for sale in September or October are both still viable options for most sellers... of most homes... in most locations... and in most price ranges.