Local Realtors answer questions about trends and offer tips to homebuyers and sellers considering buying or selling a home in or around The Woodlands.

How have home sales and inventory trended recently in The Woodlands?
The sales across the board have been slightly more than 2017, except on the peripheries [below $250,000 and above $1 million], and days on market has been less at every price point. So homes are selling quicker without as many sales, meaning there’s [less] inventory as well.

What parts of The Woodlands are experiencing the most residential growth, and why might that be?
East Shore is continuing to grow, Creekside has a ton of commercial retail coming. ... The only new construction other than that Creekside area is May Valley in the back, which is still finishing out. It’s not been exploding with growth, but they are selling.

Is this a good time to sell?
If you’re thinking about selling anytime in the next couple years, you need to do it now. We’ve got our highest prices that we’ve had since early 2015; sales are still good. This spring, it’s going to be a great time to sell; next spring, it’s likely not. It’s a question mark. This market will drop. We are looking at going into a shifting market, and we’re already looking at it.

What effects might the market have on real estate in The Woodlands?
We’re still on the verge of a nationwide drop. … The question is, how fast, and how low will it drop? Now in The Woodlands, when there’s a downturn, it holds its value a lot better than other areas. ... It’s more recession-proof than surrounding suburbs. Buying a house in The Woodlands ... it’s almost always going to be a smart decision.

What can sellers do to make their homes attractive?
For sellers that are doing the cosmetic work for the house ... those are the ones that are selling for highest dollar. Buyers, they commonly see “number of things to take care of” instead of just one dollar amount or something simple that could be negotiated in the transaction. … So if we can eliminate some of those projects in that buyer’s mind, even though it might be something simple like paint, fixtures, then the house sells a lot quicker for more.