Selling a house in the fall in Minnesota raises a question Katy and I hear every year: should you sell now, buy now, or wait for spring? In episode 37 of Key Conversations, we work through all three answers.
Some sellers should not wait. A relocation, a death in the family, a divorce, an inherited home, or a house you are going underwater on all come with their own timeline. When life sets the date, the season matters less than the plan.
Other sellers should wait. Most Lake Minnetonka lakefront homes show better in spring, and so do big family homes in sought-after school districts. If your home needs the dock in, the yard green, and the lake busy to make its case, spring is your market.
The buyers who are out in the fall and winter are the serious ones. There are fewer of them, and fewer listings competing with yours. The risk is being the weakest of the recent comparable sales: buyers compare your home to what just sold and skip the one that looks like the worst value.
For buyers, fall and winter are where the deals are, especially on homes that have been sitting 30, 60, or 90 plus days, and on cancelled listings that never sold. And our rule stays the same: if you cannot see yourself in the house for five to seven years, it is the wrong house. Rates will do what they do. "Marry the house, date the rate" is bad advice.
If you are a spring seller, the prep work starts now. One step we recommend is a pre-listing inspection: a report from a neutral third party gives buyers transparency, protects you on liability, and helps your home stand out.
Two dates anchor our spring calendar around Lake Minnetonka. The spring market starts the week after the Super Bowl, and lakefront season opens around Cinco de Mayo, when the boats are out and buyers can see what summer looks like. Whether you live in Mound, around the lake, or anywhere in the west metro, the right timing starts with an honest look at your situation.
Key takeaways
- Some sellers should sell this fall: life events set their own timeline.
- Lake Minnetonka lakefront homes and big family homes usually show better in spring.
- Fall and winter buyers are fewer, but more serious.
- Buyers find deals on homes sitting 30, 60, or 90 plus days, and on cancelled listings.
- Spring markers: the week after the Super Bowl, and Cinco de Mayo for lakefront.
- Buy a home you can see yourself in for five to seven years.
In this conversation
- Who should sell this fall, and who should wait for spring
- Why fewer listings and fewer buyers can work for you or against you
- The Super Bowl and Cinco de Mayo mile markers for the spring market
- Why downsizers are the safest fall sellers, and why fall suits them as buyers
- What winter hides: pools, roofs, and air conditioning you cannot test
- Why a pre-listing inspection gives sellers transparency and protection
- The 5 to 7 year rule for buyers, and why "marry the house, date the rate" is bad advice