As a Realtor I am constantly asked this question......."when is the best time to buy or sell". There is only one answer: When you need to buy or sell. If you are buying for recreation the answer is a bit different. Since you may not be time pressured your search can go a bit longer or you may even want to capitalize on the seasons. For instance someone seeking land might very well want to buy in the Winter. Why? Because you can see everything....where the neighbors are, deer sign, trails, water access points, where to make a driveway, the best views, potential building sites, etc. When summer rolls around searching for land is trickier. Everything is grown in and the horse flies can be relentless in some parts of the state (Adirondacks especially). Spring can inundate you with black flies and the land can be really wet.....making it a bit harder to get around - especially if it's remote. Late fall and early winter are really the best times to look at land. However, that contradicts with most outdoors people's desire to hunt, camp, etc. 

Many of my buyers want hunting properties and they want them in the summer so they can prep the land, set up ladder stands, ground blinds, work on trails, maybe start a food plot, etc. But maybe a better idea would be to look in winter (yes, I know there is less inventory in Winter) and then buy in early Spring so you can go full bore with all your plans in late Spring, all Summer and into the Fall. 

If there is a structure like a cabin, house or anything you can live in the answer to "when should I buy?" is even trickier. I'll write a separate post about things you need to consider, but timing can be very important if improvements are in your plans. Frozen conditions can be a real challenge to work in - especially is this is a weekend warrior kind of project. Also if there is as cabin or house is it heated? By what means? Electric? Water? Toilet? Oh, so many things to think about.....again that'll be my next post.

So you sellers out there are likely thinking about the best time to sell.  My answer is very simple. Now. Sell now. And I mean ASAP! Why you ask? Because interest rates are at historic lows! Buyers that can finance a property will be willing to pay a bit more then normal as the rates are so low their monthly payments will be low as a result. If the property is not financeable its ok - there are LOTS of people flush with cash right now. It may not seem like it when you watch the news but have you seen the stock market performance???? The rich are getting richer and richer and richer and  buying real estate like mad right now. So if you are even remotely thinking of selling - call me. I advertise to these people.  

There is no better time of year to sell then right now - right when rates are low and inventory is incredibly low! It's really hard to find anything to buy right now and most agents have 5 or even 10 buyers for every listing......so now is the time.

In a world of endless and mindless technology I long for time around the fire pit with my friends and family. Why? Because time around the fire pit is the best of times. It is when we let our guard down, when we  share and tell stories old and new. Family history and sometimes secrets are often passed down around the fire pit. A teaching opportunity exists as each fire is built. Its the time to demonstrate to our youth the methods of igniting a fire, controlling it and how to safely extinguish it. These are life skills that can be passed down to the next generation and the next. Some of my fondest memories are from my youth sitting around a campfire and telling jokes, sharing stories and trying to scare the little ones with tales of hungry bears nearby.

A campfire is prime evil, its the basic most modest need fulfilled in each of us. The need for warmth and security. When stranded on an island what is the first thing you want? Fire - for warmth, security and heat. We in our overly pampered existence often forget about the very basic things we really need. Do we need all of this mind numbing technology? Do we need 800 channels of TV? Do we need a computer (smart phone) in our hand 24/7? No we do not. Do we need to be warm, have protection from the elements and heat? Yes we do. And that's why I love campfires so much. They bring me back to the very fundamental needs we have as human beings.

Every time I visit my cabin in the Adirondacks I want to have a campfire. No matter the weather. Time around that fire has brought me closer to my family and friends and much closer to nature. Hearing the owls and coyotes, staring at the stars - it's all so amazing. Last summer around 5pm a deer walked within 10 yards of me relaxing by a nice fire. She couldn't care less about me and grazed so close I felt as if I could pet her. Later in the fall I got to watch a weasel chase a mouse through my wood pile in a highly comedic way. I found my self laughing out loud as first the mouse would pop out of a gap in the logs only to have the Weasel pop out two rows above and on and on. The chase went on for 15 minutes and I'll never forget it. Spoiler alert - the mouse escaped and I got to see the Weasel scamper away into my woods. It was a show I could never have enjoyed on TV or if I had been mindlessly starring at my phone I would have missed it altogether. My friends - get a safe campfire going and get back to your real roots. You will love it and create memories too!