On average, a Sacramento home sells for 100% of its listing price...but be sure to focus on the micro market that applies to you!

I like to meet with new clients at my office first before we ever go look at property to review the process, and among the topics we discuss are the market dynamics for whatever area and price range of interest. Often, my clients have preconceptions about the market that developed as a result of media coverage, advice from a family member, or a friend's past real estate experience.

So I may hear things like "my dad told me to make lowball offers on every home because sellers over-price homes assuming they will negotiate the price" or "my friend got a house for 10% less than the asking price" or "I saw on the news that every home is in a bidding war." Well...everyone has an opinion or a past experience. I let current data speak for itself.

Let me tell you first, that our Sacramento real estate market is a tricky beast. It is full of micro-markets, and no two areas have the same market dynamics. It is very important to look at the market as a whole, and then focus in on the micro market that applies.

So as an example, this first table is a look at the entire Sacramento real estate market as a whole with regard to average days on market, and the average listing price to selling price ratio. On average, in Sacramento in May 2017, a single family home in Sacramento County sold in 20 days on the market for 100% of its listing price.

Clearly, these are averages - so for every home that sold in 5 days for 5% over its listing price, there is another home balancing out the average that sold in 35 days for 5% less. You get the idea.

But then compare that data to that for Folsom homes under $500,000 in this second chart. In May 2017, a single family home in Folsom sold in 12 days for 101% of its listing price. Those may not seem like big differences, but those are significant! That means that buyers have to be prepared to act faster when a property hits the market, and more often than not be prepared to offer an amount over the listing price.

Even the Folsom table is still probably too broad, and if there is a specific neighborhood or tract that interests you, be sure to specifically examine those sales and trends. It is important for both buyers and sellers to arm themselves with data. And not just any data -- but the correct and most current data.