Home prices are climbing in Tolland & Windham counties thanks to plunging inventory in 2020 and 2021 year-to-date and a surplus of buyers willing to engage in a bidding war for the few homes available.  If you are a seller in Tolland County, days on the market has been halved from 42 days in 2020 to 21 as of February 2021, likewise for Windham County which has seen days on the market plummet to just 14 days from 32 days in 2020.   

 

Sellers should be ready to vacate should an offer come your way but where to go?  The days of abundant choice and lengthy negotiations on price and terms are over with the exception of strategic planning for a short appraisal which can rear it's ugly head at the tail end of a transaction.  

Consumers are generally adverse to selling high and buying high and the lack of suitable housing complicates the picture further. Some sellers are fortunate enough to have vacation homes or investment real estate that they can camp out in during the current gold rush. 

Some savvy buyers are offering to rent back to the sellers and/or agreeing to extending closing dates to placate a seller who is anxious to cash in but loathe to move into substandard housing, in with family or a  temporary rental.

Buyers and sellers navigating these uncharted waters can benefit from the skills of an experienced agent, a dose of flexibility and some creative thinking when it comes to closing and occupancy arrangements.   The days of going it alone on Zillow shopping listing agents and assuming that will give you an edge in negotiating are long gone—it's a feeding frenzy out there!  Best you hire a captain.