Bats, Bids, and Backpacks: Welcome to Fall Real Estate

Here we go! The Summer selling season is winding down, and Fall is about to elbow its way in. What does that mean for you? If your home is listed right now and you accept an offer tomorrow, and your buyer needs a mortgage (most do), you’re looking at an average of four to six weeks to get from handshake to closing table. Ten to fourteen days for the home inspection, plus whatever time it takes to negotiate repairs or price. If repairs are needed, add the time it takes to get contractor bids and get the work done, and Michigan is happy to throw in its own curveballs. Did you know there’s a moratorium on bat removal until August 15th? Nothing says “welcome to homeownership” quite like finding out your attic has tenants with better legal protections than you do. Unforeseen hurdles like that can nudge the timeline. Then the mortgage appraisal gets scheduled, typically another ten to fourteen days depending on the appraiser’s calendar, followed by underwriting combing through the appraisal and the buyer’s finances with what can only be described as suspicious thoroughness. There’s almost always one more document the lender needs at the last minute, usually the week of closing, so brace yourself for that phone call. Add it all up, and if you’re just getting an offer accepted now, you’re realistically looking at a September closing, if you’re lucky.

Established agents know this timeline cold and will walk you through every scenario that could play out during your transaction, because no two are ever the same. Every home, and every buyer or seller, comes with its own set of quirks. And let’s be honest with each other: your home is not perfect. No home is. All homes have something hiding somewhere, and unless crawling under your house or army-crawling through the attic insulation is a regular hobby of yours, you probably don’t know what that something is yet. That’s fine — that’s exactly what inspections are for. A good agent walks you through the whole buying and selling process, and if you need a hand to hold along the way, we do that too. I’ve sold hundreds of homes, and no two transactions, buyers, or sellers have ever been the same. That’s exactly why your agent needs a real bench of contractors, lenders, and insurance providers who can handle whatever your situation throws at them.

So, what does this mean if you’re still hoping to buy or sell this year? The market typically slows a bit as school bells start ringing again. That doesn’t mean it’s a bad time to list? No, it just means buyers with school-age kids are momentarily distracted by backpacks, bus schedules, and the sudden reappearance of homework. We also tend to see more waterfront and recreational properties hit the market this time of year, as sellers squeeze one last summer out of the dock before handing the keys to someone else.

Here comes the fall market, ready or not. I’d recommend being ready. Give me a call and let’s put together a plan, whether you’re selling now or just thinking ahead to next year.

On that note, if you’ve ever thought about a career in real estate but weren’t sure how to make it work alongside your current job, family, or dog-walking schedule, let’s talk. My office offers real training (not the sink-or-swim kind), genuine benefits, and a culture that actually respects the fact that most agents are building this career on top of another life, not instead of one. Nights, weekends, whatever fits, we’ll help you figure out a schedule that lets you grow into real estate at your own pace instead of burning out in your first year. If that sounds like something you want to explore, reach out. I’d love to talk.

Daniel Dwyer-Snyder is an Associate Broker with CENTURY 21 Signature Realty in Clare & Lake. He can be reached at 989-321-9927.