Okay, it’s different for everyone… but 565 is the average number of days we worked with our clients from start to finish before they purchased a home this year. Yes, that’s over a year and a half of home searching – on average – for the client’s who purchased a property with our help this year. And I’d say that’s a pretty accurate assessment of the time we typically spend with most clients looking to purchase a home here on the islands.
That’s a lot of talking…
No, that doesn’t necessarily mean we talked everyday, every week or even every month during that year and half. In fact, the clients who spent 1,252 days with us before purchasing a home likely spent the first two years just browsing listings online before ever reaching out for more information. And that’s great! We love serving as a resource early in your search process.
So, if you ever thought that you were “too far out” to start looking at properties online and speaking with us about the market… nonsense! As you can see, it takes time to get a good understanding of the market, including home values, seller motivations, and the average days on market here. You’ll likely find it’s very different than the last real estate transaction you had up north.
For the long-time lookers…
Out of that 565-day average I mentioned, we had a number of clients who had been receiving property updates or reading our blogs for years before they made their first offer on a home. Also, some of these were repeat clients of ours who are now purchasing investment properties or moving up to a place that better suits their desires. So naturally, their “start date” with us was early – some dating back to 2011!
For the quick-turnaround buyers…
On the other hand, we had a few clients purchase a home within two to four months of coming in contact with us! Some of these folks were buy-it-now ready, and we found great homes for them in a short amount of time. A couple of our clients thought they would wait longer before purchasing, but ending up finding the perfect property they couldn’t pass up, and snatched it up this year. It’s so exciting when that happens!
What’s your point here?
I guess I’m sharing this is to say that whatever your buying situation, don’t be afraid to come have a chat with us. I LOVE to talk about Sanibel and Captiva, and our real estate market here on island.
Some of the most valuable time spent with clients is our initial “getting to know you” meeting, where we chat about your goals and you ask a bunch of questions about the islands… anything from, “Where do your kids go to high school?” to, “What is the flood elevation level of the Dunes neighborhood?”
That’s the only way to get more comfortable and build your knowledge of the islands, so that you are confident when you finally put in that first offer on the Sanibel or Captiva home of your dreams. Seriously! We enjoy answering your questions and getting to know you throughout the process.
Warning: You can’t get rid of us
That reminds me, while we track your “start date” with us at McCallion & McCallion, you’ll never have an “end date,” with us. In fact, you can’t get rid of us. We love seeing you and helping with any followup questions you have as new island residents, because you’ll certainly have more questions after closing.
Plus, we host a handful of casual events throughout the year, where all of our past and current clients are invited to come hang out, catch up, and meet new people. Shhh, don’t tell Jim but that’s probably my favorite part of the job!
So, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email or give me a call. Especially if you are planning your trip down this winter. Let me know when you are coming and let’s meet up! I can’t wait to hear from you soon.
