Braemar Townhouse Report: September-October 2022

Braemar Townhouse Report: September-October 2022

The day after Thanksgiving is one I used to dread when I worked in fine jewelry retail. Black Friday deals would bring throngs of shoppers to the counter. Obviously, fine jewelry retail is a job in which each customer must be handled individually, with careful attention to controlling the items you are showing. It is not a place for impatient shoppers. However, here is a pro-tip for anyone that may get sucked into Black Friday deals on diamond stud earrings. They are crap diamonds full of noticeable flaws and are yellow in color. Personally, I always found white sapphires a better value. Visually, no one can tell a difference and at least they are real gemstones. You truly get what you pay for in this world, and the lesson applies to everything for which you are shelling out money. The perception of saving money is often greater than the cost realized with sub-standard items, service, etc. Boy does it apply big time to listing agents.

Rather than spending the day amidst the frenzy of consumers at shops, I am more than happy to be working as your Braemar real estate resource again, bringing you the latest Braemar Townhouse Report. This particular report focuses on the sale of traditional townhouses in our neighborhood. Breaking that down one step more, traditional townhouses are three levels, have a back yard and are not condo ownership.

There were nine Braemar townhouses that sold between the months of September and October. Details of those sales are listed below.

At a quick glance, only one third of the townhouse sold below their original list price. Original list price is used for this report, not list price at the time something went under contract. It is an important distinction to note. And the three townhouses that sold below their list prices also took the longest to sell. For sure, the first townhouse owner had outlandish ideas of what their townhouse was worth on the open market if they sold seventy-five thousand dollars below their original list price. Others were closer. Another thing immediately evident is that two-thirds of sellers gave seller subsidy (closing cost help.)

Taking these most recent sales and combining them with the Braemar townhouse sales dating back to November 2021, the six and twelve month values tracked in this report are updated as seen below.

Starting with the sold price category, it is great to see that both the six month sold prices are higher than their corresponding twelve month sold prices. Values are still trending up, just not by leaps and bounds. The gap between each set of sold price values this report, is closing compared to last report. Buyer behavior has changed with the increase of mortgage interest rates, but market conditions measured by the number of buyers compared to the homes available for them to purchase is still considered a seller’s market.

Seller subsidy is most certainly rising in the six month and twelve month average values. Many buyers are requesting closing cost help to assist with mortgage rate buy downs. Heck, some sellers are offering it vs. lowering list prices. (This is a strategy that will cost you regardless whether buyers need it or not.) In our current six and twelve month median values we find that more than half of sellers in each time frame gave nothing in seller subsidy. If future sales follow the same trend as those this report, the median values will soon be repeating values other than zero in this column.

Days on market are ticking up. Again, this goes with the change in buyer behavior. The frenzied behavior we saw in 2020 and 2021 that led to quick sales after multiple offers with no contingencies is over. Buyers are acting much more deliberately. They are less enthused about piling on in a multiple offer scenario and taking the time to mull homes over before rushing to write offers. All in all, the marketing times are still representative of a seller’s market.

If you placed your Braemar townhouse on the market, priced to current conditions, you could expect it to be under contract in about two weeks. You could also expect that a buyer would request some closing cost help. Finally, it is more likely you will be dealing with one buyer at a time. However, gets buyers excited about your home involves making sure it is well prepared, properly priced and professionally marketed. Even outside of multiple offer scenarios, buyer enthusiasm is ultimately where sellers tip negotiations in their favor.

The next Braemar Townhouse Report will be out in January. Between now and then, I wish you every happiness the year end holiday season has to offer. Of course, if the need to list arises between now and then, as it did today for Braemar townhouse sellers that reached out on this holiday weekend, do not hesitate to get in touch. My business is open year round. I am always delighted to get my Braemar sellers the top of the market when they sell. Since 2005, No One Knows Braemar Better!

Chris Ann Cleland 
Associate Broker, Licensed in VA
Long & Foster Real Estate
703-402-0037, ChrisAnn@LNF.com
www.SellingBraemar.com
www.UncompromisingValues.com
www.ChrisAnnCleland.com

Advertisement