Boston condo sellers: Should you sell now, or wait

by | | Boston condos

So you might have heard that the Boston condo market is a little uncertain right now, and you’re wondering if you should just wait a year or two before selling your Boston condo.

If you don’t mind keeping your Boston condo forever, then fine, the value will probably go up in the long run. But if you’d rather get your hands on your tax-free equity in the next couple of years, consider this.

In the strong seller’s Boston condo market we’ve enjoyed over the last nine years, buyers had to pay the price.  There was enough competition that if you didn’t pay the seller’s price, somebody else would.

But lately we’ve seen the competition dwindle.

Let’s don’t call it a buyer’s market just yet.  Let’s call it neutral.

If Boston condo buyers feel they have more negotiating power, they are going to use it.  They wait more patiently now, critique the comps more closely, and skip the fixers unless the price gap is appropriate.  Sellers of the fixers got away with selling for just a little under the superior homes, but now the 5% to 10% gap is back.

Once the market has turned that corner, it probably won’t just bounce back to being a seller’s market this fall.

How do you know if you should sell now, or take a chance?

Sell now if you have good comps.

You’re not going to have better comps next year.  Why?

Because once buyers they recognize a slower market, they are going to dig in on price and only pay the same as the comps, or less.  They will wait patiently for the more-motivated sellers who price close to the comps or just under.  Those are the sales that will be setting the market.

So the best-case scenario is to have next-year’s prices be about the same as today.  So you should sell now while you have the certainty.

Boston condos for sale: Sellers questions and answers

Author Profile

John Ford
John Ford
EXPERIENCE

Over the course of 20 years in the Boston downtown real estate market, John represented and sold numerous, condominiums, investment and development properties in Greater Boston and in the surrounding suburbs



In addition to representing Boston condo buyers and sellers, John is currently one of the most recognized Boston condo blog writers regarding Boston condominiums and residential real estate markets. John's insights and observations about the Boston condo market have been seen in a wide variety of the most established local & national media outlets including; Banker and Tradesman, Boston Magazine The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald and NewsWeek and Fortune magazine, among others.



HISTORY

For over 24 years, John Ford, of Ford Realty Inc., has been actively involved in the real estate industry. He started his career in commercial real estate with a national firm Spaulding & Slye and quickly realized that he had a passion for residential properties. In 1999, John entered the residential real estate market, and in 2000 John Started his own firm Ford Realty Inc. As a broker, his clients have come to love his fun, vivacious, and friendly attitude. He prides himself on bringing honesty and integrity to the entire home buying and selling process. In addition to helping buyers and sellers, he also works with rental clients. Whether you’re looking to purchase a new Boston condo or rent an apartment, you’ll quickly learn why John has a 97% closing rate.

AREAS COVERED

Back Bay

Beacon Hill

Charles River Park

Downtown/Midtown

North End

South End

Seaport District

South Boston

Waterfront

Brookline

Surrounding Communities of Boston
Contact
John Ford and his staff can be reached at 617-595-3712 or 617-720-5454. Please feel free to stop by John's Boston Beacon Hill office located at 137 Charles Street.




John Ford
Ford Realty Inc
137 Charles Street
Boston, Ma 02114

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