There are three reasons why now is a smart time to buy a home.
First, you face less competition from other buyers. Most buyers take the month off to celebrate the holidays, attend parties, host out-of-town guests, and, quite frankly, avoid trudging around during the cold to look at houses. It’s also possible that they’ve heard now is a lousy time to buy a house.
In any case, shopping for homes when there aren’t a lot of other active buyers can pay off big time, because competing against multiple offers is one of the most stressful parts of the home buying process.
Second, sellers are serious and motivated during this time of year. This means they’ll be more open to negotiating. What you might lack in available homes will balance out by dealing with more flexible sellers.
“Most sellers have a compelling reason to be putting their home on the market during the holidays.”
Most sellers have a compelling reason to be putting their home on the market during the holidays. Let’s face it—it’s no party for them having strangers wandering through their house. They might need to relocate or resettle their kids before the new term. If they’ve had their home on the market since fall, they might be feeling stressed about that too. These kinds of factors make them a little more anxious to make a deal.
Third, you get a more realistic picture of the house you want. What house doesn’t look great during the spring selling season? Checking out a home during the winter season might give you a more accurate idea of what you’ll be living in the rest of the year.
In addition to seeing the house in a realistic condition, you can check for issues you only notice during cold weather. However, keep in mind that issues that arise during the summer will be less noticeable during the winter, so make sure your home inspector does a thorough job.
If you want to get started on your home buying journey, give us a call. We’d love to help you. If you have any other questions about our market or you have any other real estate needs, feel free to reach out to us as well. We look forward to speaking to you, and we hope you have a happy holidays.
