To list or not

With the frigid temperatures upon us it seems to many that no one could possibly be interested in looking for real estate. If that were true, there are nearly a thousand Coeur d'Alene Association of Realtors members that would take the winter off. Instead, we endure the cold and slick roads with the knowledge that only serious buyers are looking now.

Gone are the fair weather lookers who are more interested in a free tour of our area's natural beauty than truly investing here. Those killing time while relatives prepare for or participate in one of our many events no longer call, feigning an interest in waterfront homes or mansion sized properties. No, the prospects we entertain this time of year are willing to brave the weather along with us and many have a sense of urgency not dictated by the climate.

At any time of year there are people in need of real estate. Some, wanting to avoid a tax consequence may be compelled to buy a property for the sake of beating the IRS out of a capital gains tax from real estate they may have sold. Others may have completely different deadlines.

It is not the weather that dictates an illness, divorce, business opportunity or promotion. People get transferred at any time of the year and those starting a new position the first of 2015 need to find a home immediately in order to get possession by then.

Now is the time when the closest family members visit. In some cases they may find that the relatives they have been reunited with are more important to them than they remembered and they want to remain closer. Others find those relatives have become less independent and are in need of a little, or a lot, of outside help best administered by a family member. Still others who visit were not aware of the beauty of our region and fall head over heels in love with the area or someone and decide to purchase real estate in anticipation of a future move.

For many visitors our real estate prices are astonishingly affordable. With interest rates declining for the third week in a row, opportunists are answering the knock. They find too, that there is less competition for the best real estate buys this time of year so it is a good time to negotiate with less fear of being outbid by another buyer.

Sellers will find that the less ambitious have taken their homes off of the market, not wanting to be bothered during the holidays, so there is less competition for prospective buyers to consider. Serious buyers are looking all year long. The Internet makes it easy for them to look at homes in whatever comfort they enjoy, venturing out into the weather only after narrowing the field online. Those that will visit in inclement weather are likely more serious than the fair-weather visitors who may find touring homes entertaining.

The reality is this; if your real estate is not on the market, the likelihood of you selling it is nil.

Trust an expert ... call a Realtor. Call your REALTOR or visit www.cdarealtors.com to search properties on the Multiple Listing Service or to find a REALTOR member who will represent your best interests.

Kim Cooper is a real estate Broker and the spokesman for the Coeur d'Alene Association of REALTORS. Kim and the Association invite your feedback and input for this column. You may contact them by writing to the Coeur d'Alene Association of REALTORS, 409 W. Neider, Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 or by calling 208-667-0664