Why Aren’t More Homeowners Ready To Sell?

In today’s market, there are more home buyers than there are homes available for sale. In other words, it’s a seller’s market. But despite favorable conditions for sellers, the number of homes for sale is down 37 percent year-over-year. So why aren’t more homeowners putting their homes up for sale? Well, according to one recent survey, uncertainty is the answer. Among Americans who have considered selling in the next few years, 34 percent said life is just too uncertain right now, with 31 percent citing financial uncertainty specifically. Among those respondents, 27 percent recently changed jobs and 17 percent had a spouse or partner who had been laid off. But not all potential sellers were holding off because of financial uncertainty. Some have put a pause on their plans because they see conditions getting even better in the future. In fact, nearly 40 percent of participants who are considering selling said they feel they’ll get a better price if they wait. And if that’s the case, it suggests we’ll soon reach a point where we see more homeowners listing their homes, which will help bring greater balance to the market. (source)