Local Realtors hope to get a better turnout by moving the annual open house weekend to April and away from another popular annual event.

“This open house weekend has typically been the same as the Austin High School graduation,” said Mary Lindgren, a Realtor with Fuhrman Real Estate in Austin. “Thankfully, we moved it to this weekend.”

The Nationwide Open House Weekend is this Saturday and Sunday, although almost all of the open houses in Austin will take place Saturday. Nearly all local real estate agencies are participating, and there are more than 60 in Austin alone, all featured today in the Herald.

To Jerry Wolesky, manager of the Fawver Agency in Austin, the weekend is a perfect time to show the public it’s time to buy.

“It’s the time of year the market perks up after winter, and you get more activity. Interest rates are low and it’s a great time to buy,” he said. “You have the opportunity to walk through properties you might not walk through otherwise.”

Lindgren added that Fuhrman is busy in every price range now, an improvement from the last few years when generally homes on the cheaper end were selling.

“It feels good,” she said. “We’re starting to see people loosen up a little now. They feel more comfortable stopping into an open house. And we get some looking for decorating tips, too.”