Some Sequim homes sell fast and others do not. What’s the difference between them? I’m a guy who doesn’t jump to conclusions, but after seeing the same pattern over a long period of time, like years, I say to myself, “Hey Chuck, there’s a pattern here.” And so homes that sell quickly and homes that do not have revealed a pattern.

Sequim Homes Sell When They Sell

In a large metropolitan market there will be hundreds of homes selling every week, and it is easy to accurately predict how long a home will be on the market, how many buyers are arriving per week, and you can use sales statistics to make pretty good predictions. But in a small market, like Sequim, Washington, the inventory is very small, and the number of buyers arriving to look at homes and buy is also a small number. The number of buyers who come from week to week varies, and you cannot make accurate predictions about DOM (days on market) or how much a home should sell for.

Sequim Homes and Retirees

The truth is, retirees will retire when they retire, and then they make a trip to see some Sequim homes. The date on which a home is listed has no relation to when a retired couple arrive in Sequim to see similar homes. The ideal buyer for a particular home might arrive the same day a home goes on the market, or a month later, or 8 months later. In a small market with few buyers, you cannot draw definitive conclusions about a home just because it sold in 4 days, or just because it has been on the market for 6 months. There may be nothing wrong with the home. The right buyer may simply not have arrived yet.

There is such a thing as Sequim homes in waiting. What are they waiting for? They are waiting for just the right buyer. I’m not kidding. Some homes only sell to that one unique buyer who falls in love with it because it is perfect for them.

Sequim Homes Waiting

I recently showed Sequim homes to a couple from California, and I sold them a beautiful custom built home with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths in 2,300 square feet all on one level acre. One prospective buyer took one look at the property and said, “Oh my, look at all that grass to mow. Wow! Oh my goodness! Holly cow! I can’t mow that much grass. No way. That’s not for me.” And then I showed it to another couple who said, “Oh my gosh, this is absolutely perfect. We love it. And what a beautiful lawn.” And the second couple bought it for $415,000.

Unique Sequim Homes

Sequim homes tend to be unique. We don’t do tract housing here, so nearly every home is a custom home. Like this home in the photo. This is a 4 bedroom home plus a den, plus 2 and a half baths. The kitchen is modern with custom cabinetry and granite countertops, and the kitchen and dining room and living room are an open floor plan. The house sits almost in the center of a level one acre lot with half of it fenced for a great dog run. Raised garden beds on the other side of the house are growing organic vegetables. Among all Sequim homes, this one is unique too and just waiting for that one unique buyer who falls in love forever. Kind of like a fairy tale. And they lived happily ever after in Sequim, Washington.

The inventory of Sequim homes for sale is not a large inventory.  A search of the Clallam County MLS for homes shows that there are 662 homes currently for sale and pending.  Narrow that search to Sequim, and you find out that there are 314 Sequim homes for sale.  Narrow that further to homes with at least 3 bedrooms, and there are only 224 Sequim homes for sale. And lastly, if you include only homes between $200,000 and $400,000, that leaves 113 homes.

Sequim Homes for Sale Limited

When you start filtering the available homes in the Sequim area with features and acreage that you personally prefer in a location that you like, that list gets shorter and shorter.  This is why retirees like yourself often focus in on the same small universe of homes.  If there are a dozen homes that could be your short list, it is very likely that your list is also the short list for several other retired couples, give or take a couple of houses on the list.

Sequim Home for Sale

You can do some experimenting with available homes by using this MLS site to run a variety of searches yourself.  This MLS site can be a very helpful tool as you filter carefully through the inventory, save your favorites for your short list, and make adjustments in your final list just before arriving in Sequim.

Sequim Homes for Sale Tech Help

If you need any technical help or guidance on using the MLS to help you filter and save homes or land, by all means don’t hesitate to call or email our tech service department.  Chuck Marunde will guide you through the process and make your search enjoyable.