The real estate recovery has been marked by 3 ½ years of annual double digit price appreciation.  And there are no signs of it abating.  The primary driver has been and continues to be low inventory.  Six (6) months of inventory, based on closed sales, is considered a balanced market.  You have to go back to January 2012 to find more than six (6) months of inventory — and even then it was only 6.6 months.

Moreover, since January 2012 inventory levels have consistently dropped.  This past month, September 2015, there was only a 2.5 month supply.  In fact, since March, the supply of homes for sale has not exceeded 2.8 months.

So, what happens when inventory is low, the shelf is bare?  Well, prices go up.  And so it is.   Prices increased 11.6% in September 2015 from the same time last year, to $147 per square foot.  At $237,000, the average sold price was 15.6% higher than last year.

Low inventory + few choices for buyers = quick + higher priced sales.

As to those who believe the best time to sell is “in season”, the facts belie that proposition.  Whether it be winter, spring, summer or fall — it really makes no difference at all.  The supply of homes for sale remains a constant.  2 – 3 months.  That’s it.  It makes no difference if it be the winter “in-season” or the summer “off-season”.  The supply, i.e., choices, are few, while prices continue to rise, regardless of season.

The facts do support the proposition that the best time to sell your home is when it is right for you.