Five Good Reasons to Visit Open Houses This Summer

Most people are planning a day at the beach, a picnic with friends or a family gathering....but you're mapping out your tour of open houses. The timing for you to buy is now, but you're not happy about it. Well, believe it or not, it's actually a better time to attend an open house than you might think and here are five reasons why we feel certain about this:

1. Homes that are being opened in what some may consider not the best marketing season are owned by motivated sellers. These homes are priced competitively and are priced to sell.

2. More than likely there will be fewer attendees at open houses than in other seasons. This will enable you to see the property more clearly without the distraction of others' chatter. You can imagine your furniture placed in the living room, envision a different wall color in a bedroom and poke around more freely in the basement without tripping over anyone.

3. This is an opportunity to meet a  realtor face to face (rather than a voice on the other end of a phone) and make your own assessment if this person is someone you could be comfortable working with. With fewer people asking questions and distracting the realtor, you're in a great position to decide if this is a person you would like to work with and keep you up-to-date with listings in your price range.

4. If you're a summer person, it is perfect. When looking at property in colder seasons, the windows are closed and usually the streets are pretty quiet. If you're dreaming of reading the Sunday paper on the balcony you looked out at in February and find in August the spot is noisy or way too hot in the afternoon sun, you may be very disappointed. Whether rooms are nice and bright in the afternoon or cool and dark based on the shade of the surrounding trees is important to know —especially if you plan to enjoy the summer months in your home.

5. There are more than likely less properties to visit, so you can still have an opportunity to enjoy some part of the day!