Most people don’t think of the holiday season as a great time to buy a home. But there are actually a number of benefits you can get from holiday home buying this December.
Fewer Home Shoppers Looking
Since most home buyers take this time off to focus on other things, that means there are fewer buyers. You get less competition, which will affect the homes available (more choices) and the pricing available (more room to negotiate).
Swift Closing
No one wants to leave a home sale on the table over New Years. They want to get it done, counted into the current tax year or sales goals, and go home to celebrate with loved ones. Everyone wins when closings happen fast, especially with festivities going on and a year ending. This is why everyone in the process seems to move faster in December.
More Focused Attention
Chances are you’re using a real estate agent, a mortgage broker, an escrow agency, inspectors, movers, and plenty of other services in this process. Because there are fewer buyers right now, these professionals have more time and energy to share with you, which can be a huge bonus in some cases! This is the best time to get lots of personal attention as you buy.
Sellers Want to Sell Now
People that are actively trying to sell their home this December have a strong reason to do it fast, or they would likely postpone selling. They may have been relocated at work, have a new baby and not enough space, or any number of other reasons. Plus they’ll want to sell in the current year for tax reasons. The combination of fewer offers and more motivation to sell creates a great setting for holiday buyers.
Best Pricing of the Year
There are many reasons why selling a home in December requires the owner to be more flexible about pricing- as we’ve established most people would rather not buy or sell at this time of year. That makes selling more urgent for those who do- and keeps pricing lower than other months. This trend continues year after year, with holiday home buyers winning.
Timing of Purchases
Part of moving is often acquiring things for your new home. Aligning the time that you’ll need new furnishings, decor, window coverings, rugs, and more with the time that all these things are on sale is a great plan! Pre-holiday sales often morph into post-holiday sales too, so this even the things it takes you a month to get around to buying can still be on sale.