By allowing ads to appear on this site, you support the local businesses who, in turn, support great journalism.
Winter home sales may not always be a chilly proposition
9e2f33f7912f9c4d8b6bf455c56ebcf3d60ea45613e58c25f7432f075a72e620
Buying or selling a home in winter has its own set of challenges. Here's how to get the best deal possible, no matter which side of the transaction you're on. - photo by Jeff Wuorio
For many, selling a home in the summer is as easy as jumping into a refreshing swimming pool. Trying to move that same home in the winter may come off more like trying to muscle through a foot-deep bank of snow.

The winter homebuying market can be challenging on any number of fronts. First and most obvious is the cold weather in much of the country, which can keep would-be shoppers by the woodstove rather than hunting for open houses. Existing home sales in cold weather parts of the country such as the Midwest and Northeast drop significantly during winter months, according to data supplied by the National Association of Realtors. For instance, some 58,000 homes were sold in the Midwest in January 2015 paltry when compared with the 145,000 that moved later in June.

"You can certainly see that home sales dip during the winter months, primarily for two reasons: cold weather, and families are less likely to buy and move into a new house during the school year," said National Association of Realtors Economic Issues Media Manager Adam DeSanctis.

A formula for hunkering down until spring? Not necessarily. Instead, whether buying or selling, it pays to leverage the specifics of the winter season. Heres how:

If youre the seller:

Try looking at certain factors, such as the buyer's motivation, in an entirely different light, suggested Allison Scollar of Meisel Real Estate in New York.

Off-season buyers are the most serious, often looking to buy because they need to, not because they want to, putting the seller in an advantageous position, she said. Fewer listings on the market coupled with demand from motivated buyers translates into maximum profit for sellers.

Even when snow piles up, winter sellers must account for the inevitable first step in marketing a property: curb appeal. First glance factors become all the more important when the weather limits your options. Keep walkways clean and gutters free of oversized icicles. If youve yet to pull down your holiday lights, keep them up a while longer to add color and interest, said Paul Esajian, CFO of CT Homes.

"It shows prospective buyers that the owners take good care of their home and that they enjoy living there," he said. "If nothing else, the lights will help draw attention to the home anything that can draw attention while it's on the market is a plus."

Take steps to make the inside of your home as welcoming and appealing as possible. For starters, have your home heating system inspected and repaired to ensure visitor comfort. Take time to analyze airflow, insulation needs, windows and doors and other aspects of the home that will make a huge difference in both utility bills and comfort level, said Christy Edgar, CEO of @home Real Estate Referrals.

If you have a fireplace, be sure it's clean and have a home fire burning to up the cozy factor, added Cheryl Reed, director of external communications for Angie's List.

Running counter to the coziness is the insular feel of winter, which can become unpleasant in a tightly shuttered home that seems cramped or messy. Clean things up and get rid of clutter to head off any sense of stuffiness or claustrophobia in the home.

In addition to a fireplace, sunlight streaming through windows in winter can be charming but only if the windows are kept clean, said Reed.

And, if youre away from home during the day, consider an automated system to turn on indoor and outdoor lighting once the sun goes down. That way, a chance late afternoon walk through by a prospective buyer isnt undermined by a dark, unwelcoming home.

If youre the buyer:

Those in the market for a wintertime purchase are in many ways in the same boat as the seller limited market, less activity. While that can work for the seller it can also be advantageous to a buyer when negotiating purchase price and other terms.

"When shopping for a home in the off-season, buyers dont face as much competition and are less likely to get into a bidding war," said Brad Chandler of Express Homebuyers. "Buyers who are looking in the winter may find a very motivated seller with lowered expectations and get a great deal."

Before negotiating price, however, experts urge buyers to keep their eyes wide open maybe even more so than in warmer months. With a blanket of snow covering everything, dont be shy about asking whats underneath all the white stuff.

Ask about the condition of the roof, utility lines into the house and other elements that would be readily visible at other times of the year. Look for telltale signs of trouble particularly noticeable in winter. "Trust your nose. Are there air fresheners all around, especially in the basement?" said Chandler. "Or does the basement have a musty smell? If so, be sure to ask your agent to find out from the listing agent whether there have been any issues with water infiltration or an interior flood from cracked pipes or the like that wasn't properly addressed."

No matter how bone chilling the weather, make certain to take a walk around the house to inspect for any possible flaws. If you can spot something amid the snow and the ice leaks or other types of damage investigate further to see if that signals a major problem. Despite the time of year, ask about any summer-specific features such as central air conditioning.

Ask to see a service contract on air conditioning or ask for money in escrow until it can be turned on in the spring, said Kyle Alfriend of the Alfriend Group in Dublin, Ohio. Most AC units can't be inspected during winter temperatures.

Winter can also be the ideal time to evaluate the surrounding neighborhood under challenging conditions. How well do nearby homeowners maintain their property, keeping walkways and driveways cleared and neat? Does the city or town do an adequate job of plowing the streets?

Is the house on a long driveway or on a hill? Whos going to clear that thing of ice and snow? said Reed. And if its a remote area, whats the history of power outages? Is there a generator to get you through those times?

But dont get to the point that dark days of the season or a few flakes of snow on a walkway are a deal killer, cautioned Sharn Kandola of the real estate startup www.feeDuck.com.

Imagine the home year around, agreed Alfriend. You are probably seeing it in its worse season, so look past that.
Sign up for our E-Newsletters
How to avoid 'sharenting' and other paparazzi parenting habits
ce406c66b9871a104ac24256a687e4821d75680dcfc89d9e5398939543f7f88f
A recent study revealed parents often spend up to two hours staging a single photo of his or her child to post online. - photo by Amy Iverson
Before having kids, some people just dont appreciate their friends baby posts. But after having a child of their own, three fourths of new parents jump right on the parental social media bandwagon. If you have become a member of this group, there are some rules to follow for posting responsibly.

Much of a parents worry is how to teach their children to use social media responsibly. We talk with our kids about privacy, oversharing, and setting restrictions on their devices to keep them safe. But parents themselves need to look in the digital mirror once in a while. Before having children, it doesnt take as much effort to think about what to post online. Its up to us to decide what we share about our own lives. But once you become a parent, there are many questions to think about regarding what is appropriate to post about your kids on social media.

In a recent survey, kids clothing subscription company Mac and Mia surveyed 2000 new parents to find out how they are documenting their kids lives on social media, and what concerns they may have.

First of all, people without children seem to feel a bit differently about the onslaught of baby pictures online than those who are parents. 18 percent of people say before they had kids, they were annoyed by their friends baby posts. But after having children of their own, 73 percent admit they post progress pictures of their little ones every single month.

Not only are new parents letting the world know each time their baby is a month older, but they are posting about their kids every few days or so. Men and women report they post 6-7 times per month about their baby.

And while 70 percent of new parents say the benefit of using social media is how easy it is to help family and friends feel involved, there are some downsides. Here are a few tips to avoid the pitfall of becoming paparazzi parents.

Dont miss the moment

In the Mac and Mia survey, some parents admitted to spending up to two hours to get the perfect shot of their baby. That seems a little extreme. New and old parents alike should be careful about spending so much time taking pictures and videos that they dont enjoy the moment. Years ago, I decided to never live an experience through my phone. A study by Linda Henkel, a psychology professor at Fairfield University in Connecticut, found that when people took pictures of objects in an art museum, they didnt remember the objects as well as if they simply observed them.

This photo-taking impairment effect can happen to parents as well. If we are so consumed by getting the perfect photo, we can miss out on the moment all together, and our memory of it will suffer.

Dont forget about privacy

60 percent of couples say they have discussed rules and boundaries for posting their babys photos, according to the Mac and Mia survey. Even so, men are 34 percent more likely to publish baby posts on public accounts. If parents are concerned about their childrens privacy, keeping photos off of public accounts is a given.

In the Washington Post, Stacey Steinberg, a legal skills professor at the University of Florida, and Bahareh Keith, a Portland pediatrician, wrote that sharing too much information about kids online puts them at risk. They write that all that sharenting can make it easier for data thieves to target out kids for identity theft. Check that your privacy settings are where they should be and never share identifying information like full names and birth dates.

Dont be paparazzi parents

36 percent of parents say they take issue when their childs photo is posted online by someone else. Responsible social media users will always ask permission before posting a photo of another child. But parents should also think about whether their own children will take issue with their own posted photos a few years down the road.

When parents are constantly snapping pictures and throwing them on social media, it can be easy to forget to pause and make sure the post is appropriate. I always use the billboard example with my kids. I ask them to picture whatever they are posting going up on a billboard in our neighborhood. If they are okay with that, then their post is probably fine. Parents should ask themselves this same question when posting about their children. But they should also ask themselves if their child would be OK with this post on a billboard in 15 years. If it would cause embarrassment or humiliation, it might be best to keep it private.

Once children reach an appropriate age, parents should include them in the process of deciding what pictures are OK to post. Researchers at the University of Michigan surveyed 10- to 17-year-olds and found children believe their parents should ask permission more than parents think they should. The kids in the survey said sharing happy family moments, or accomplishments in sports, school and hobbies is fine. But when the post is negative (like when a child is disciplined) or embarrassing (think naked baby pictures or messy hair), kids say to keep it off social media.
Latest Obituaries