View of the flooded Snohomish Valley from Seattle Hill Road

 “What on earth” you ask yourself, “does the weather in Seattle have in common with the Seahawks?” Let me answer that for you - they both affect the Seattle real estate market. “How’s that?” you ask. By slowing down buyer traffic and new listings.

When the weather is as unpredictable and severe as we have experienced in past month, many casual buyers and agents become hesitant to get out to view homes. Poor road conditions and the inability to see the whole property – due to snow or flooding, for example – are two of the biggest reasons. Sellers will often delay putting their home on the market until the snow or flooding is gone or until the power is restored.

When the Seahawks are playing, buyer traffic is affected – especially when the Seahawks are in the playoffs. Weekends are often the busiest time in real estate in the winter months, as most people’s works schedules don’t afford them the time to view properties during daylight hours. When the Seahawks have a big game on the weekend, the casual buyers stay home for the game. 

There’s a flip side to all of this – if you want to get a DEAL, this could be your opportunity! Many sellers need to sell their home quickly, and when buyer traffic is reduced, they may become more open to lowering the asking price or other concessions.

So if you’re more than just a casual buyer, take advantage of the unusual weather and the playoffs – it might payoff big for you this year!