The Next Normal: Longview realtor sees seller’s market despite COVID-19 pandemic

LONGVIEW, Texas (KLTV) - So maybe you’ve had it with your old house, or that apartment, and you want a new place to call home. But, considering the pandemic, what can you expect? We take a look at what it’s like in the Next Normal.

Driving around Longview you find out pretty quickly that there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of homes for sale. But Julie Woods of Julie Woods Real Estate Firm knows where some of them are since that’s a big part of her job.

“I never expected us to be a part of a global pandemic, and then when it did happen, I thought we’d have a real slow down in our economy, or at least a pause. We had about a millisecond of a pause, and we have been so busy. It has been such a strong seller’s market,” Woods said.

So much so she advises knowing where you’re going to stay if you put your house up for sale.

“The average length of time homes are on the market is four months,” Woods said.

She says less than six months is a seller’s market, and a buyer’s is more than six months. She thinks it’s:

“Due to interest rates being so low. I’m seeing a lot of clients get 2.99 percent interest rates,” Woods said.

A few things are important to buyers a bit more than they used to be.

“A lot of people are interested in outdoor living, and enough space to be comfortable in the event they are stuck at home again,” Woods said.

And as far as walk throughs just after the pandemic hit:

“The buyers would go in by themselves, come out, and then the realtor would lock up the home,” Woods said.

But now:

“We’re asking all our sellers to leave the lights on, so that way no one will have to touch any light switches. Leave their closet doors open, so that way no one will have to touch the doorknob. Many sellers are asking the buyers to mask before they come in their homes,” Woods said.

And if buyers are wondering about COVID-19 in the house, well there are:

“New forms released by the Texas Association of Realtors and Texas Real Estate Commission where sellers can disclose whether they have recently had COVID-19,” Woods said.

And of course homes are cleaned after a walk through to make it as safe as possible. Woods says if you’re buying act fast since:

“I recently had one that had 14 offers in the first two days it was on the market,” Woods said.

She thinks that’s an indicator home prices may go up in the Next Normal.

Hand sanitizer, Clorox wipes and gloves are also generally available at homes being viewed. Woods says realtors normally sell about four homes a year and right now she has 19 homes under contract for a sale.

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