I found this great article on the Remax Online Newspaper and thought it was worth posting as it will help you decide when to list. Written by Chris Somers, a Sales Associate with RE/MAX Affiliates in Philadelphia.

The first part of the answer depends on a seller's personal goals. If a seller has no place to go, plans on purchasing in the future or has other external factors that push their timeline out, it may make sense to wait until those answers are figured out and there's less uncertainty. This can be the case for any seller at any time of the year.

There are six main advantages for a seller to list now (in the winter) instead of waiting until spring:

1. Inventory - In the spring, how many other sellers will end up using the same strategy? They may have been waiting a year or so until the market got better, or just figured it was the best time to list their property. So come March, April and May, there will be that much more competition to potentially compete with. By listing now, you avoid all that potential competition.

2. Motivated buyers - Often, many buyers will just wait until spring to start their search. They will just be starting the process. Believe me - the buyers who are house hunting during the holidays and in the winter are serious and motivated. By listing now, you'll potentially get one of these buyers to write a deal on your property.

3. Mortgage rates - "Rates, rates, rates," The mortgage rates right now are at three-year lows.  I think November, December and January will end up being busier months for many agents than July through October 2008, which is an anomaly. By listing now, you'll catch this wave of buyers shopping for houses since mortgage rates are so low.

4. Buyer confidence - Buyer confidence is starting to shift, which is also increasing buyer traffic. .By listing now, you're taking advantage of this trend of increased buyer traffic.

5. Accomplish your goals now - When it's all said and done, wouldn't you rather have your house sold by March or April, and move on with your life rather than just listing your house then? I love it when we accomplish our goals ahead of schedule - it's a great feeling. By listing now, you're positioning yourself to accomplish your goals sooner rather than later.

6. Reverse fear - Not to buy into the media's doom and gloom, but there's always a risk that the housing market could deteriorate more instead of picking up by mid-2009. In addition, the reality of the market getting that much better in a short period of time is remote. I doubt that waiting until spring will yield a sales price that could be higher by 10 percent. In fact, it could even be a little worse if you think the economy is going to deteriorate as the unemployment rate continues to rise. By listing now, you avoid that extra layer of uncertainty.

All original information from the REMAX Times Online.

The RE/MAX Survey of Home Buying and Selling Trends in Ontario, conducted by COMPAS
Research, in the first half of 2008 found 79 per cent of sellers said they made improvements to
their homes two years prior to listing and more than one third (39 per cent) of them did so with
selling in mind. Further indicative of how sophisticated sellers and buyers are becoming, 37 per
cent of sellers made upgrades to their home after listing their property for sale. Home sellers are
typically spending $21,000 on average in renovations; the most popular of which are updating
kitchens, hardwood flooring, and new windows.

"Investing in renovation for the purpose of selling a home continues to grow in 2008," says Michael
Polzler, Executive Vice President and Regional Director, RE/MAX Ontario-Atlantic Canada.
"Changing market conditions are largely responsible for the upward momentum in residential
investment which is up four per cent to $6.9 billion in Ontario for the first half of this year, compared to
last year at the same time. We are seeing two clear trends emerging with some homeowners looking to
boost resale value by renovating and others choosing to bring their home up to today's standards by
upgrading areas that are dated. In either case, the end result is a product that will more likely yield top
dollar when it is time to sell."

Renovations can drastically influence a home's market value. The RE/MAX Survey found the
wealthiest homeowners (those with an income of $150,000 or more) spent the most on
renovation at $37,663 on average, while those earning under $30,000 spent the least at $8,263.
Renovation costs typically increased with housing values, with the cost of refurbishing a home
priced at $500,000 or more topping out at $55,974.

"With buyers visiting an average of nine properties before settling on the one they want to call
their own, sellers need a distinct advantage over the competition," says Polzler. "Location is still
the primary factor for buyers, but a property's condition also plays an important role. Our Survey
found properties with updated kitchen cabinetry, hardwood flooring, new windows, an open-
concept and a finished basement appeal most to today's selective purchaser."

Most Appealing Upgrades and Gap (Most minus Least)

All Sellers

Most Least Most/Least
Kitchen cabinet upgrade 18 1 +17
Hardwood floor upgrade 11 2 +9
New windows 10 1 +9
Removing walls to create
open-concept living 8 2 +6
Finishing the basement 8 3 +5
Kitchen appliance upgrade 5 2 +3
New shingles 6 3 +3
New bathroom taps and plumbing 4 3 +1
New bathroom tiles 2 1 +1

The RE/MAX Survey of Home Buying and Selling Trends in Ontario surveyed close to 1,000
Ontario home sellers using data provided to COMPAS Research by RE/MAX. Samples of this
size are deemed accurate to approximately three percentage points 19 times out of 20.

RE/MAX is Canada's leading real estate organization with over 17,500 sales associates situated
throughout its more than 640 independently owned and operated offices across the country. The
RE/MAX franchise network, now in its 34th year, is a global real estate system operating in over 65
countries. More than 7,000 independently owned offices engage more than 115,000 member sales
associates who lead the industry in professional designations, experience and production while
providing real estate services in residential, commercial, referral and asset management. For more
information call me at 905.338.9000