Recent coverage of the luxury market at events like the National Association of Real Estate Editors conference has highlighted the market’s strong resurgence and steady sales. In fact, statistics from the National Association of Realtors suggest that the luxury market is rebounding from the recession faster that middle market and lower-end properties. All signals point to great news for luxury owners that may be considering a property sale in the near future. If you are contemplating listing a luxury property in the Orange County area, what you learn may surprise you.
What is considered a luxury property is changing: Today, a luxury property in many metropolitan areas begins at about the $4 million dollar price point or more than 3500 square feet of space. In more rural areas, the price point for what is considered a luxury property starts around the $500,000 mark. There is further differentiation regionally and even on a town by town basis. In competitive markets such as Orange County, the prices may be higher than anticipated.
Practical features are coming at a premium: When people are contemplating buying a luxury property, they typically ask fairly standardized questions about luxury amenities. Is the kitchen gourmet? Does the house feature a stunning view? But more and more, luxury Realtors are seeing the importance of what can only be dubbed -practical features.- For example, generators are one key trend throughout the country as more areas are affected by hurricanes, storms, and other inclement weather. More concern has also been show about factors such as privacy, safety, and exterior builds to protect cars and other possessions during weather events. Buyers still want traditional luxury amenities, but it is important that safety and emergency infrastructure has also been addressed at the property level.