Every year, as the leaves start to shade into browns and golds, they start to show up. At first, a trickle, and then in droves, their growing numbers make it clear the word is out—the Eastern Shore’s sheltered waterways and quiet fields are a beacon of safety and calm.

I could be talking about waterfowl, and maybe in a normal year, the migratory rhythms would be the main focus of the fall. But this year, due to the pandemic, the great migration isn’t coming from Saskatchewan—it’s East Coast city dwellers wanting to escape the restrictions and danger of their urban surroundings for a Chesapeake alternative.

If I didn’t understand it before the coronavirus pandemic started, I do now—so many people are clamoring to have the wide open spaces and peaceful waterfront vistas we are afforded on the Eastern Shore. Here, social distancing isn’t a trend, it’s a way of life. And between the pressure to leave crowded cities behind and the incentive of low interest rates, the real estate market here has been inundated with buyers.

We’re used to migrations here, but they’re usually for waterfowl. This year, it’s city dwellers.

Like the geese arriving from the north, it started slowly. When the pandemic began and life was in stasis, real estate was deemed essential. We were still allowed to show homes, many occupied, with a heightened level of safety and awareness. Settlements and closings, for the first time, were done virtually or as drive-through appointments. While business was not booming, it was steady. I knew things were going to be okay when I listed one home on a Friday, had to shut down all 16 showings by Sunday night, and asked for best and final offers by Monday at noon. That listing sold well over asking—and it was the beginning of the rush.

As Phase 1 hit, all hell broke loose. Once folks from out of state were allowed to start coming in, the demand for properties has been unprecedented. I’ve talked to realtors and brokers across the state, from Western Maryland to Annapolis to ‘down the ocean’ and no one has seen anything like this before. The real estate market is in a super boom.

Everyone is looking for their piece of Eastern Shore paradise—maybe your current property is their dream home?

For sellers, this is a golden opportunity. Inventory is incredibly low, and with such fierce competition, multiple offers over listing have become routine. If you have considered selling, perhaps even a few years in the future, I would strongly encourage you not to wait. Sell now and harvest the windfall of perfect timing combined with a once-in-a-lifetime market. With the proceeds, I can help you reinvest in your dream home once the boom begins to subside.

For buyers, the extremely low interest rates (I recently had someone get a 30 yr loan at 2.25%) make navigating this competitive market worth it. And I foresee no signs of a mid-2000’s-style bubble. These homes are sound investments with good values, all strictly overseen by mortgage brokers and underwriters. And perhaps the greatest incentive of all is your reward—the sunset rippling across calm water, a sense of open space, of safety in your home and community.

If it’s good enough for the geese, it’s good enough for us. Find your own quiet Eastern Shore cove to call home, and end your migration for good.