Coronavirus and Maricopa real estate

By Brian Petersheim

With the Pandemic of the Coronavirus affecting the health of people around the world, buying and selling a home in our small slice of paradise known as the City of Maricopa will probably change in the upcoming months.

Unfortunately, we are in uncharted territory with this pandemic. No one is sure about how long this may last or how bad it may get.

As this article is written, there are no “stay at home” orders in place for this state or the city, so like many other industries, the real estate market is still up and running, albeit with some precautions in place.

Some buyers and sellers of homes may not be able to postpone their moving plans. For instance, if a renter’s lease is up at a certain point and they are unable to extend it; or a buyer’s company is transferring them into or out of the Valley, they will need to secure housing at a specific time period.

What is going to happen to the local real estate market in the near future?

Honestly, no one is sure, since we are in uncharted territory.

Currently, there are only 184 homes for sale in the City of Maricopa, while “normal” inventory is approximately 300-325 homes available.

We are still in a seller’s market based on the low inventory; the wild card will be the demand for homes in the next several months.

I have spoken to many local real estate agents over the last several days, and all of them are having a variety of responses.  One of them had listings cancel, two had new listings that received offers quickly, and one of them had buyers cancel due to a job temporarily shutting down.

Here are a few tips for sellers and buyers to help ensure that they and others are protected from the coronavirus:

For Sellers:

1. Set up hand sanitizing station, gloves, booties near the front door. Put small trash can near table
2. Open all doors before showings and sanitize knobs after showing
3. Leave cabinet and closet doors open and any other space a buyer may normally open during a showing
4. Turn on any lights, lamps and light switches before showing starts
5. Open blinds/drapes so buyers do not need to open them to see the view.

For Buyers

1. Always bring your own sanitizer in case it is not provided
2. Use your own car while driving to showings. No car pools
3. Wear booties or shoe covers if provided in a property
4. Refrain for touching ANY surfaces while in the property
5. Ask your agent if he/she can set up a virtual tour using video streaming/facetime

In closing, there are some safety precautions that can be put in place to help reduce the chance of exposure to the Coronavirus

Brian Petersheim is a local Maricopa Real Estate agent with Homesmart Success
602-206-9644
[email protected].