Frederick County Short Sale Blog | Homes for Sale in Frederick Md

When the Frederick Real Estate market was HOT between the years of 2003 and 2006, sometimes Frederick buyers bought what they thought would be no problem to sell.  Now that we’re in a down market, however, some of those homes are not easy to sell.  With somewhere between 7 and 10 sellers for every buyer, buyers can be choosers. 

In this present buyer’s market, most buyers will choose some other house, not the one under the power lines, or backing to the highway, or the one with no back yard.  In any market, buyers need to keep resale in the back of their minds.  Even if you think, “I’m going to live here forever!”  you never know what curve balls life will throw at you and chances are good that you probably won’t live there forever.  You also never know what kind of market you will be in when it comes time to sell.  Here are some tips to keep in mind:

1. Location, Location, Location.  There’s a reason why the cliche sticks.  Keep location at the top of your list while you shop for a home.  Convenience to shopping and transportation is important, but being too close can detract from value. 
2. To make sure you don’t buy in the wrong neighborhood, visit and walk the neighborhood on different days and at different times.  Look for the maintenance and upkeep of the homes and yards in the neighborhood.  Pride of ownership is important.
3. Don’t buy the largest or the smallest home in the neighborhood, they can both be difficult to sell in a down market. 
4. A two-car garage is better than a one-car garage.  A minimum of 2000 square feet is neccessary.  At least 3 bedrooms, two-bedrooms are tough sells, and only appeal to a small number of buyers.  Two and a half baths are the minimum.  Lots of natural light is also important.
5. Today, updated kitchens are important to most buyers.  Make sure that the home you buy can be updated easily if its not already. 
6. Most people prefer to live on a cul-de-sac.  But if that’s not an option, the road in front should be a minor road, no yellow lines. 
7. Avoid “incurable defects”.  These are things like lack of bathrooms on every level, lots of front steps, nearness to a noisy highway or shooting range, or a bad floor plan that really can’t be fixed.  

If you keep these basic tips in mind while you shop for your home, you should be able to make a great choice that insulates you against a tough resale.

Contact us for a consultation or use our free MLS property search to find your Frederick Home:

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The Highland Group