What Can Home Sellers Expect in 2020?
Louisiana Realtors • December 31, 2019
Selling your home is a big decision and the success of the outcome of this transaction is based on a number of variables. Market conditions, the economy, and more all influence the amount of time that a “For Sale” sign stays in your yard, as well as the figure on your check at the closing table. So as we enter not only a new year, but a new decade, what can you expect if 2020 is the year you decide to sell your home?
Mortgage Rates Will Decrease
While you may not consider falling mortgage rates as a variable that impacts the home selling process. But this is a condition that can work out in your favor. Buyers will be motivated by low interest rates, meaning they could make you an acceptable offer sooner rather than later. Working with a knowledgeable, professional REALTOR® can help you gauge your expectations in terms of both asking price and a selling timeline.
Home Prices Will Increase
Obviously the sale price of your home is a major, likely the most important, result of selling your home. The good news is that for the past several years home prices have been on the rise. While the increase has sagged year-over-year, it is an increase nonetheless. This means that you can capitalize on a higher asking price than you may have thought. However, this environment of higher prices can quickly exceed many buyer’s budgets. Leveraging the experience and expertise of a REALTOR® can help you find a balance between a lucrative and competitive asking price that won’t leave your house on the market for months.
Tax Questions & Updates for 2026 Webinar Recording Now Available
NAR is pleased to share the latest consumer guide that explains the concept of home staging, offers DIY staging tips and missteps and shares the latest NAR member sentiment on how staging can help buyers better visualize the property as their future home and potentially net sellers a higher price. As a reminder, all guides in this series are available for download—in both English and Spanish—on facts.realtor . Please allow up to two weeks for the Spanish version of the latest resource to be translated and uploaded. For ease of reference, below is a list of the most recent guides: NEW: Staging Your House for a Sale Spotting Deepfake Scams in Real Estate Are You Ready to Invest in Real Estate? Thinking of Selling? 7 Factors to Consider How to Make Your Home More Energy Efficient Thank you for your continued engagement with the “Consumer Guide” series and for sharing the resources with prospective clients to ensure they have the information they need to find success in their home buying or selling journey. Remember that these guides are for informational purposes only and are not meant to enact or change any existing NAR policy. Be on the lookout for the next consumer guide, which discusses home mortgage options that allow buyers to fold in renovation costs.
With legislative work wrapped for week two of the session, here is your look back at what took place inside the halls of the Capitol. This week was defined by one major theme: workforce. Across both chambers, lawmakers moved a substantial package of measures focused on workforce development and reforms to Louisiana’s labor and workers’ compensation systems. House Labor Committee One of the busiest areas of activity was the House Labor Committee, which met Thursday morning and took up a slate of bills tied to employment policy, workforce structure and independent contractor issues like measures on portable benefits. The committee’s work underscored the broader push this session to modernize Louisiana’s workforce. Workers’ Compensation Reform The conversation around workers’ compensation reform also gained serious momentum. On the House side, additional labor-related bills addressed independent contractor definitions and other employment law issues. This week marked one of the first major pushes of the session on labor and workforce policy. House & Governmental Affairs Beyond labor-focused legislation, activity also continued in other key committees. In the House & Governmental Affairs Committee, lawmakers advanced multiple bills dealing with the timing of bond and tax elections. Tax, Commerce and Property Looking back at the broader week-two agenda, the Legislature also began considering several tax, commerce, and property-related measures, including proposals impacting property tax assessments, homestead exemptions, and the issues affecting private property. While workforce dominated the week, these issues are starting to gain traction as the session moves forward. A portion of our legislative package will be heard next week as HB 468 moves to the House Commerce Committee and HB 292 moves to the House Civil Law and Procedure Committee. Be on the lookout for any potential calls-to-action for these, or any other upcoming bills. Please view the weekly bill tracking report provided by our lobbying team over at Harris, DeVille and Associates.
