Fredericksburg Parent

26 Fredericksburg Parent and Family • April 2021 WRITTEN BY EMILY FREEHLING After a winter of virtual schooling, working from home and limited activities to prevent the spread of COVID-19, many fami- lies may be finding themselves ready to move up to a space that better fits their needs as spring approaches. With interest rates on mortgages at historic lows, homeowners today have an opportunity to trade up to a larger space—poten- tially without seeing a significant increase in their monthly hous- ing costs. "There's a lot of opportunity right now," said Amy Cherry Taylor of AveryHess Realtors in Spotsylvania County. "If you are not plan- ning to stay in your home for the next three to five years, you have to seriously consider what your options are right now." This seller's market has brought many homeowners multiple offers, less hassle on home inspection reports and more room to negotiate closing dates than they typically have under normal market conditions. But the conditions of this market and the lifestyle changes that have driven it also make it more important than ever to carefully plan your go-to-market and showing strategy. That's something Taylor and her team at Amy Cherry Taylor and Associates take pride in doing. "The planning is more important now than it has been in the past," Taylor said. "And that's something we really love doing with our clients. We put their concerns at ease and really go step-by- step so that they will know what to expect and have a plan to deal with it." WORKING AROUND VIRTUAL SCHOOL The No. 1 concern for many families considering listing their homes right now is the fact that home has become a school, office, gym and entertainment spot 24/7 as out- side activities have shut down in the pandemic. Especially for families with school-age students of mul- tiple ages, online learning sessions can span large parts of a weekday. With careful planning, Taylor said, having a home on the market doesn't need to come with interrup- tions to online learning. "One of the first things we do is take the family's schedule and work around it," she said. "We can block out online learning times that the family has to be home in our sys- tem so that the owners don't have to worry about getting requests for showings during times when they just can't get out." She also said that in a spring market, many homes sell quickly, meaning it may only take one weekend of show- ings to yield a winning offer. "Remember that buyers are in the same situation. They understand if the seller can't show it because of work or school," Taylor said. "It's not perceived as being unaccom- modating as it once was." How to List Your Home When Nobody Ever Leaves Amy Cherry Taylor and Associates works closely with clients to take the stress out of pandemic home sales

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