As your local real estate expert, I, Courtney Harrison, recommend staying informed about market conditions to make the best decisions when buying or selling a home. Key tips for this month include:
Check market trends: Review recent home sales in your area to understand pricing.
What this means:
For sellers: you want to know what similar homes (in size, condition, features, neighborhood) recently sold for. This helps you set a realistic asking price.
For buyers: you want to see what homes are selling for so you understand what you can expect to pay (and avoid over‑paying).
Key metrics: median (or average) sale price, how many homes are on the market (inventory), how long homes are staying listed (days on market), how the market is trending (up, flat, down).
Why this matters:
Sellers: If your area is trending upward and inventory is low (few houses for sale), you may be able to ask for more and move quickly. If inventory is rising (more competition) or prices are flat/declining, you may need to price more competitively, stage more carefully, or expect a longer time on market.
Buyers: If you see home prices rising and few homes available, you’ll need to act more quickly (and perhaps offer stronger terms). If market is cooling or inventory increasing, you have more negotiating power (and more time).
Get pre-approved: Buyers should secure financing early to strengthen offers.
What this means:
A pre‐approval letter from a lender means you’ve done the work ahead of time: you’ve submitted your financial information (income, debts, assets, credit check) and the lender has conditionally approved you for a certain loan amount. It indicates you’re ready to buy.
It’s stronger than “pre‑qualification” (which is more informal, less documentation). Connexus Credit Union+1
Why this matters:
For sellers, an offer from a buyer with a pre‑approval letter is more credible (less risk that the buyer won’t get financing).
For buyers, getting pre‑approved early gives you clarity on how much you can afford, you won’t waste time looking at homes outside your budget, and you’re prepared to move quickly when you find “the one.” Mortgage Research+1
Stage your home: Sellers can maximize value with simple staging and curb appeal improvements.
What this means:
Staging means preparing your home so it looks its best: declutter, clean, repaint if needed, arrange furniture to highlight space, enhance curb appeal (landscaping, exterior clean up), maybe even hire a professional stager or use virtual staging.
The goal is that when buyers walk through or see photos online they can envision themselves living there — which can translate into better offers and faster sale.
What the data shows:
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR) 2025 Profile of Home Staging: 29% of agents said staging increased the dollar value offered by 1‑10%. Also, about half of sellers’ agents saw a reduction in time on market. NAR
Another resource says staging can raise sale price by up to 20%, and staged homes sell faster (sometimes up to three times faster) than unstaged ones. gadyhomes.com
That said, one survey found 34% of agents felt staging had no impact — so results vary depending on market, condition of home, quality of staging. NAR
Stay tuned for monthly updates, and contact me if you’re ready to buy or sell!
As your local real estate expert, I, Courtney Harrison, recommend staying informed about market conditions to make the best decisions when buying or selling a home. Key tips for this month include: Check market trends: Review recent home sales in you
As your local real estate expert, I, Courtney Harrison, recommend staying informed about market conditions to make the best decisions when buying or selling a home. Key tips for this month include: Check market trends: Review recent home sales in you