The weather is cooling, leaves are falling, pumpkins are sprouting. It’s the time of year when a lot of house hunters begin gathering hibernating supplies for a long winter’s nap. But you are not like most house hunters. You are smart, you know that the advantages to finding a home in the winter far outweigh the disadvantages. You know that this is the time of year to get the best deals, the most attention and the right home for you because you understand the following key points.
Special treatment
Part time agents work during the warmer months when the home buying season is busier but full-time agents work year round, even during the winter months. They work just as hard for you during the warmer, busier months but since there are fewer buyers in the winter months, full-time agents will be able to dedicate more time and energy to you and your needs. They will help you find exactly what you want.
Lenders are also experiencing a winter slow down and you can benefit from that with more personalized attention and maybe a better mortgage rate or lower negotiated fees due to less business at this time of year.
Motivated Sellers
Most sellers put their homes on the market during warmer months. Most of the houses you find for sale in the winter are usually being sold by seriously motivated sellers who do not want to wait for spring to sell their home. This means that your agent will likely be able to negotiate a better deal for you. New home builders are also motivated during the winter months and offer the best incentive programs at this time of year to raise sales.
Less competition, easier negotiations
Just as there are fewer sellers during the colder months, there are also fewer buyers and this means less competition and lower prices on homes. A bidding war situation is much less likely and counter offers are low. The seller is more inclined to accommodate you in order to get the house sold because there are fewer buyers interested in purchasing at this time of year. People are usually ready to help out more during the holidays, and sellers are also motivated by tax purposes to get the home sold quickly.
Better home overview
Winter is often the roughest time of year on homes. The outside doesn’t look as pretty with bare trees, the inside is a little darker than in the spring and summer. These factors work together to give you a realistic picture of what to expect when you are hunkered down for winter in your new home. You will be able to see the extent of care needed to keep the driveway and sidewalk free of ice and snow. Major repair items are functioning that are likely to have problems if they are not in good condition such as heating, plumbing, gutters and roofs. This time of year allows the inspector to better check the condition of the furnace, how well and evenly the home is heated and if there are drafts coming in windows or doorways. This will give you a heads up to issues that may be coming down the road and let you stay clear of problems that you are not willing to take on. These are things you would not see in warmer months.
All in all, there are many, very valuable reasons to bundle up and head out to find a new home. It might just be the most wonderful time of year to buy a home!
