Episode Details

Everyone tells Santa Clarita home sellers to wait for spring. That advice just cost someone $50,000.

In this episode, Connor MacIvor—25 years in Santa Clarita real estate, 20 years with LAPD—breaks down the January vs March listing strategy that most agents won't tell you about.

Real 2024 data from Valencia shows January listings averaged $892,500 and sold in 32 days. March listings? $865,200 and 45 days on market. That's $27,300 difference for doing LESS work with LESS competition.

Connor reveals:
• Why March brings 750 competing homes vs January's 400
• The psychology of January buyers (corporate relocations, serious first-timers, smart investors)
• Exact day-by-day timeline from December 23 to January 20
• Neighborhood-specific strategies for Valencia, Saugus, Canyon Country, Stevenson Ranch, Castaic, and Newhall
• How to vet agents who understand market timing vs those who just follow the crowd
• Common mistakes that kill January listings

If you're planning to sell in 2026, this episode could put an extra $30K-$60K in your pocket.

For fairness. That's the whole deal.

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LONG EPISODE DESCRIPTION (500-750 words)
For show notes, blog posts, detailed platforms
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**STOP Before You List Your Home in March 2026**

Every spring, Santa Clarita real estate agents tell sellers the same thing: "Wait for the market to heat up in March." And every spring, sellers follow that advice—straight into a bloodbath of competition, price cuts, and missed opportunities.

After 25 years in Santa Clarita Valley real estate and 20 years with the Los Angeles Police Department, Connor MacIvor has seen this pattern destroy seller profits year after year. In this episode of the Santa Clarita Open Houses podcast, Connor breaks down the January vs March listing strategy with brutal honesty and real market data.

**The Numbers Don't Lie: January Destroys March**

Real 2024 Santa Clarita market data:

**January Listings:**
- Active inventory: 380-420 homes
- Average days on market: 32 days
- List-to-sale price ratio: 98.4%
- Average price per square foot: $425
- Valencia 2,100 sqft home: $892,500 average sale price

**March Listings:**
- Active inventory: 720-780 homes
- Average days on market: 45 days
- List-to-sale price ratio: 96.1%
- Average price per square foot: $412
- Valencia 2,100 sqft home: $865,200 average sale price

**The difference? $27,300 more in your pocket by listing in January. For LESS effort. LESS competition. LESS time.**

**What You'll Learn in This Episode:**

**The January Buyer Advantage**
- Why January buyers are pre-approved, motivated, and timeline-driven (not window-shopping browsers)
- Corporate relocations happen in Q1 for fiscal year reasons
- Life changes (divorce, job moves, inheritance) don't wait for spring
- Smart investors buy when inventory is low, not when everyone else is competing

**The March Competition Nightmare**
- How 750+ simultaneous listings create buyer paralysis
- Why "peak season" actually means "peak competition"
- The psychology of choice overload: when buyers tour 50 homes, they remember none of them
- Price cut cascade: how the first March price reduction triggers a domino effect

**The Exact Timeline Strategy**
Connor walks you through day-by-day execution:
- **December 23-27:** Post-holiday prep (declutter, deep clean, minor repairs)
- **December 28-31:** Agent selection, contractor scheduling, comparable sales analysis
- **January 2-8:** Professional photos, staging, final walkthrough
- **January 13-20:** MLS launch, open houses, offer review, negotiation

**Neighborhood-Specific Tactics**

Not all Santa Clarita neighborhoods are