It’s one of the questions realtors are asked the most: is there a perfect time of year to buy or sell a house?
The fact is, contrary to popular belief, there is no particular season that’s ideal for selling or buying a home.
Some people believe that summer and winter are the best time to look for a new home, because they think fewer people will be “house shopping” at the same time. After all, many would-be buyers will be on vacation in summer, and then reluctant to go out “house hunting” in winter.
However, while demand for real estate is lower in summer and winter (and you may have to compete with fewer bidders), there are also fewer homes on the market to begin with. That in turn means that you’ll get to look at fewer potential houses or condos. Your chances of finding your “dream home” in winter and summer is therefore far lower than in other times of year.
When it comes to real estate, spring and fall have traditionally been considered the best times to buy and sell. Some people feel that spring is a busy time for real estate because people want to move in during the summer, before their children go back to school. In the fall, people have returned from vacations and are ready to devote their time to “house hunting.”
All that being said, the truth is that there is no perfect time of year to buy or sell a home. None of these home buying “rules” is based on more than anecdotal evidence.
It’s always a good time to purchase a house or condo. Everything depends, not on the time of year, but on your own personal situation.
Some people try to time the real estate market. However, there are some things that cannot be “timed,” such as the circumstances of your life.
For example, you may be facing an “empty nest” situation as your children move out of the family home. Perhaps you are relocating, facing a divorce, expecting a child or getting married and combining two families.
Any one or more of these situations can happen at any time of year, of course. That’s why it is ultimately impossible to time the real estate market.
This is especially true when you’re hoping to move into a highly desirable area. You can certainly watch those neighbourhoods regularly, but you simply cannot predict when a house there will come on the market.
For all these reasons, if you know for certain that you’re going to be buying a home or condo in the near future but still don’t know exactly when, it’s important to be ready to act on a moment’s notice to acquire the home of your dreams.
This means already having a realtor to help you navigate the process.
Be sure to have your list of “must have” features already in place, and most important of all, having a pre-approved mortgage.
Being well prepared like this can make all the difference between whether you get the house you make an offer on, or lose it to somebody else.
In short, there is no “perfect” time of year to buy or sell a home. Everything depends on your personal situation.
Remember: you can’t time your life to match the real estate market!
We can connect you with the Sears Certified Real Estate agent who’s right for you, so you can be ready to move when the time comes.
And remember: when you buy or sell your home with one of our Certified Sears Real Estate Agents, you get back 0.6% of your home’s value in FREE Sears Gift Cards!
For instance, if you buy or sell a $250,000 home, you would get $1500 back in Sears Gift Cards.
CLICK HERE to learn how to buy and sell your home with one of our Certified Sears Real Estate Agents and get back 0.6% in FREE Sears Gifts Cards.
