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<\/a><\/p>\nAdditionally, more sellers are making a splash over the holiday weekend year over year. 20% more homes went on the market on July Fourth last year, as compared to 2016.<\/p>\n
The moral is that you might find the long weekend to be a prime time to sell a home, as real estate activity could hold steady and even pick up during this time. But every area is different. If your city will be a ghost town, for example, then you might think twice about listing over the holiday.<\/p>\n To get the full picture, we chatted up top real estate agents from different regions and markets across the U.S. Here\u2019s what they recommend sellers do for this upcoming Fourth of July weekend to give their house the best chances at attracting an offer (or five!)<\/p>\n Some public holidays have the luxury of always being tacked onto the weekend (Memorial Day is the last Monday of May, and Labor Day is the first Monday of September).<\/p>\n But the Fourth of July rotates every year. In 2017, it fell on a Tuesday; in 2018, it was on a Wednesday. Both random mid-week days are not ideal for people who want to turn this one-day celebration into a longer stretch of time off.<\/p>\n But\u2026<\/p>\n Fourth of July falls on a Thursday this year<\/b>, which means many people will take off Friday to extend the holiday into a glorious four-day weekend.<\/p>\n That frees up more time for people to relax, but also to get out there and look at homes. Open houses<\/a> over the weekend will likely attract motivated buyers<\/a> (if a couple skipped the sunset boat cruise to house hunt, they\u2019re serious). But there\u2019s also potential to bring in a casual crowd and any kind of foot traffic is your friend.<\/p>\n For example:<\/i><\/p>\n Boston-area based marketing professional Paige Arnof-Fenn<\/a> and her husband weren\u2019t actively looking to buy a home when they stumbled on an open house in their neighborhood during July Fourth weekend.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen we walked through the gate, my husband and I realized it was our favorite home in our neighborhood,\u201d Arnof-Fenn told HomeLight. \u201cWhen we got inside, we saw it had been on the market for months and they had just lowered the price. We walked two blocks to our rental and wrote a check as a deposit to make an offer.\u201d<\/p>\n They closed on the property three weeks later.<\/p>\n Still not sure if a holiday listing is a good idea? Consider these tell-tale indicators for your individual market:<\/p>\n The Fourth kicks off a month of peak vacation season for Americans\u2014last year, July 8 was the busiest airline day of the year<\/a>. If you\u2019re selling a property in a weekend getaway spot, you can guarantee the holiday will be a perfect time to showcase your home to out of town buyers.<\/p>\n \u201cWe are inundated with thousands of additional visitors during that time of year, especially that weekend,\u201d says top 1% Seaford, Delaware<\/a> agent Dustin Parker<\/a>, who actively sells both inland and coastal properties. \u201cDepending on the area that people are looking to be in, it can be good if you’re looking to sell because there’s going to be additional exposure during that time frame.\u201d<\/p>\n However, the influx of people can also make it harder to get around town, so you need to think over the logistics and timing of any showing appointments or open house events.<\/p>\n \u201cIt can be a challenge because the roads are going to be jam-packed with traffic,\u201d says Parker. \u201cIt’s going to be difficult to move from place to place.\u201d<\/p>\n He suggests scheduling your open house around the same time as others in the area, so potential buyers don\u2019t have to brave the traffic more than once. In his experience, midday open houses draw the largest crowds, without the stress of morning or evening traffic.<\/p>\n It might seem counterintuitive to try and compete with other houses on the block at the same time, but in reality multiple nearby open houses<\/a> attracts attention. Check online to see if there are any open houses already set for the holiday weekend in your neighborhood, then book yours accordingly.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re a parent trying to move your family before the new school year, July Fourth isn\u2019t a restful holiday. According to Moving Labor, peak moving<\/a> (which they label as \u201cpandemonium\u201d) begins in early July and continues on through August and into September.<\/p>\n Busy families who plan to relocate might be using the time off to search for a home. Facing a time crunch before the new school year, they\u2019ll be motivated buyers.<\/p>\n \u201cJuly is usually pretty good for families buying homes,\u201d explains Susan Melnick<\/a>, who\u2019s sold 83% more home in the Dallas area than the average agent. \u201cAugust is going to be slower because it’s right before the kids go back to school. And then by September, it slows down. So really, for a seller to get top dollar, it’s going to most likely be made in June or July.\u201d<\/p>\n In that case your house that’s smack dab in the middle of an A-plus school district could be a hot commodity.<\/p>\n If your neighborhood goes big for the Fourth of July\u2014think parades, fireworks, and decorations\u2014then consider capitalizing on the crowds with an open house. The warm weather and activities will draw people out, and a decorated home advertising an open house could pull potential buyers to your property<\/a>.<\/p>\n You might even use the holiday as an excuse to highlight features of your property<\/a> for an original open house.<\/p>\n Have an amazing view? Consider an offbeat evening open house where visitors could watch the fireworks. Proud of your sprawling patio? Invite buyers to enjoy the space with the lure of some cold refreshments.<\/p>\n Festive activities for your open house can also tie into any events happening around the neighborhood and give potential buyers a chance to check out the property without feeling like they\u2019ve missed out on the holiday.<\/p>\n Kim Erwin<\/a>, a top agent in Corpus Christi, Texas,<\/a> uses the annual Fourth of July activities to drum up interest in her listings.<\/p>\n \u201cMy market is waterfront homes and we have a Fourth of July parade every year by water!\u201d says Erwin. \u201cIt\u2019s fun and attracts home buyers.\u201d<\/p>\n Parker suggests a themed open house that highlights small businesses from the neighborhood for those who may be traveling from out of town.<\/p>\n \u201cWe’ll include or incorporate something from each of those places in the actual open house,\u201d he says. \u201cSo if it’s a wine and cheese open house, we include wine from the specific winery of that town and some local cheeses and things to try to make it as local as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n So you\u2019re all in on a Fourth of July sale. You\u2019ll need to treat it differently than an average weekday listing. Now\u2019s the time to make the most of it with these expert selling tips:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll want to cut the price before the start of the July Fourth weekend, says Shawn Engel<\/a>, a top agent in Aurora, Colorado agent who has over three decades of experience: \u201cI\u2019d say go ahead and do that because time is of the essence,\u201d advises Engel.<\/p>\n But does that mean you\u2019re going to get less for your house?<\/p>\n Hardly.<\/p>\n Parker echoes the same sentiment: \u201cIf we think for some reason that we’re going to get an influx of traffic or interest, we adjust the price prior to the weekend because we want to try to collect as many offers as we can during that peak time.\u201d<\/p>\n A holiday price cut could be a one-way ticket to a bidding war<\/a> that drives your home\u2019s price up to the max.<\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\nTake advantage of the extra long weekend this year<\/b><\/h2>\n
<\/a>3 signs your market is ideal for a Fourth of July sale<\/h2>\n
1. You\u2019re in a strong market for second-home shoppers<\/h3>\n
2. You live in a great school district<\/b><\/h3>\n
3. Your town would appreciate a fantastic themed open house<\/b><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Follow this expert advice to pull off a holiday home sale<\/h2>\n
Cut your price before the weekend<\/h3>\n
Don\u2019t wait until the holiday itself to list your home<\/h3>\n