So when is the best time to list your Metro Detroit home?  If you live in Michigan or in any Northern state in the United States you know that the winters are usually snowy and cold. Many people don't want to go out in cold and snow.  Most people would rather stay in the warm house cuddled up by the fire than to go out and look at homes.  The other issue in the winter is that you are really limited to looking at houses on the weekend.  The early darkness at night also limits home buying.

It is hard to see homes in the dark and it is usually dark by the time home buyers get home after work during the week.  So they do not want to go look at homes if they cannot see the roof, the yard, or the exterior home.  How do you know what the roof is like if it is dark out.  I would always recommend you to see a house in the daylight.  If you go see a Metro Detroit home at night after work in the dark I would recommend you to go see it over the weekend during the daylight hours.  It would be crazy not too, but that is just my opinion.  

Then add in snow.  If the roof or the driveway is covered in snow how do you know whether the roof is any good.  The shingles may be curling and you would not be able to see the trouble. It is the same way with the driveway.  It could be all cracked up or pitted if it is covered with snow.  Or an asphalt driveway may be falling apart and you would not know it.  A snow covered yard could hide that there is no grass.  Bushes or trees could be dead and you would never know it until next spring.  These are just some of the issues with a snow covered yard.  It is the same with a waterfront home for sale in Oakland County Michigan.  You can't see the lakefront.  What if it is full of cattails and lily pads.  What if the lake bottom is mucky.  You can't see that through the snow and ice.  I again recommend that you look for a lake home with the ice is off the lake.  If you buy in the winter you need to do the due diligence and talk to the neighbors on what the lake is like in front of the house. You need to know that.  There are so many homes that have bad lake bottoms or have lilly pads in front of them.  So talk to both neighbors or wait until spring to buy.  Also look at aerial photos of the lake and the house.  You may be able to spot the lilly pads from an aerial photo. 

So home buyers do not go out much in January and February because of the snow and the cold.  November and December are busy months with elections, thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and other holidays.  Shopping, holiday parties, and family gatherings take many home buyers out of the market for a few months.  So what is the bottom line of when to list?

HOMES SELL ALL YEAR ROUND

It doesn't matter whether it is November, January, or March, or July.  Homes sell all year round.  There are just fewer buyers in winter because of the reasons I listed above.  However there are usually less homes on the market during the winter too.  If you have a nice home that is updated and move in ready your home will sell.  If you put it up for sale in the spring you may have more buyers and may attract a bidding war and a higher price.

I believe home prices usually dip a little in the winter and it is a proven fact that less homes sell during the winter months.  So it is really up to you whether you want to list during the spring or summer or to put it on during the winter months.  To search for the latest homes for sale and for metro Detroit information go to http://www.oaklandcountylakefronthomesmi.com