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Buyers and sellers must gauge the health of their markets and know when to pounce by tracking key indicators

After months of uncertainty, buyers and sellers are wondering whether housing markets will prove to be resilient this fall. A number of forces could influence the long-term health of the market: The release of pent-up demand after a muted spring season, uncertainty around whether schools will reopen, buyers motivated to move out of large cities hard hit by the pandemic, unusually low mortgage rates, and more.

In the U.S., home prices increased by 4.9% from June 2019 to June 2020, a CoreLogic report found, though the report also anticipated a 1% decrease in prices over the coming year, the first annual decline in nearly a decade.

That drop is relatively mild, given how the pandemic has put many markets on pause, led to mass layoffs, and sparked economic uncertainty globally. Real estate experts say that low mortgage rates, limited supply, and motivated buyers bode well for the upcoming fall season, traditionally a busy time for real estate. In the coming months, buyers and sellers must keep a close eye on transactions to get a sense of the resilience of the real estate market in the wake of coronavirus upheaval.

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This article first appeared on Mansion Global.

If social distancing has you focusing on your property’s flora, we’re here to help with some clever gadgetry that will give you the best looking lawn and garden on the block.

Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller

Water is the source of all life, and, unsurprisingly, an integral component in keeping your lawn and gardens at their most lovely and lush, but when to water and how much? Leave the aquatic queries to the automated experts at Rachio. The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller, which works for eight or 16 zone sprinkler systems, gives users complete, smart device-based control over their watering network, allowing them to call for water on demand or schedule regular sprinklings. Or better yet-let Rachio handle it all.

With its Weather Intelligence Plus system, Rachio can accurately read changes in weather patterns and automatically adjust when, and how much, it will water, saving homeowners expenses and removing the threat of over- or under-watering.

The Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller is available for $229 (eight-zone) or $279 (16-zone).

Landroid

A properly manicured lawn can be a tricky task, so why not move that burden onto a bot? Landroid, from tool manufacturer WORX, is a grass-eating automaton that is capable of mowing lawns up to a half-acre. Users simply lay a boundary wire around their yard-accounting for obstacles like flower beds-and Landroid takes care of the rest, chopping grass within the defined area, regardless of the weather conditions, and automatically returning to its charging pad when it is done or needs a little boost.

With the accompanying Landroid app, users can activate on-demand mowing, keep tabs on the mowing progress, set a specific mowing schedule, and even get accurate measurements of their lawn.

The Landroid is available for $999 to $1,499, depending on features and mowing area capability.