Finding your next home in your community can be challenging. When you add hundreds or even thousands of miles to the equation, it becomes significantly more complicated. Though long-distance house hunting has its unique challenges, it’s not impossible. In fact, we help people with it every day. With modern technology, it’s never been easier to buy a house remotely. Here are a few critical factors to keep in mind when you find yourself in a home search from afar.
The infographic from Florida Realtors below shows some of the most likely items to show up on a home inspection. I know home inspections can be a bit nerve wracking. However, the results are easily manageable the vast majority of the time.
Unlike in Manatee, we actually saw median sales prices decrease for the first time in what seems like forever in Sarasota County (see graphic below). That said, the change was slight, and could easily reverse itself in the coming months as we move into peak transaction season. I think the headline in Sarasota County is one of balance. The market is at a point where buyers and sellers both have the opportunity for excellent outcomes. It is the type of market where both parties tend to give a little to make transactions work. Having been a real estate agent in markets where one party (either a seller or a buyer) hold virtually all of the cards, I find the current market much more conducive to positive outcomes.
We continued our march towards higher median sales prices in January despite less houses being sold and inventories building. Seeing roughly five months of inventory in the graphic below is a little deceiving as we are entering our busiest transaction time of the year (which will naturally burn through more inventory). As I have been representing a fairly equal amount of both buyers and sellers in 2023, I can tell you that the market actually feels pretty balanced right now. New listings are attracting significant attention; however, buyers have more leverage than at virtually any time in 2022.
While Sarasota’s results aren’t too different from Manatee County, there continues to be some variance. Prices are continuing to rise faster, and cash sales are a bigger piece of the pie. Overall, the season is shaping up to only slightly favor sellers over buyers as many sellers continue to be sitting on the sidelines this year. The infographic from Florida Realtors below has more detail on the latest month of results.
