Buy a home in December, and you might save 5 to 7 percent. Find out why this can be the best time of year to make a purchase.
HERE ARE 6 THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND IF YOU’RE THINKING ABOUT BUYING DURING THE HOLIDAYS:
- Less Competition – The same reasons that are going through your head are going through all the other home buyer’s heads when buying a home. Its busy, it’s a hassle, there’s already too much to do when buying a home. Those reasons keep a lot of buyers out of the market this time of year when buying a home, which means more choices and less competition for you!
- Motivated Sellers – Before home sellers buy a home don’t enjoy moving over the holidays any more than anyone else. It’s likely that people selling their homes at this time of year are very motivated. They may be facing a change of job or a need to sell and get money before the end of the year when buying a home. If you combine motivated sellers with less competition, you have great leverage to get a great deal on buying a home!
- Lower Prices –When buying a home prices have been rising, partly because of a shortage of homes on the market. However when buying a home, historically December has lower home prices than any other month, because of all the reasons we have already gone over. There’s no guarantee that this will be the case this year but keep this possibility in mind when buying a home!
- Faster closings – When buying a home,everyone involved in a real estate transaction is motivated to get the deal closed quickly. Buyers and sellers want to settle into their new homes. Lenders want to include the loan on the current year’s books. REALTORS® and Brokers want the commission on this year’s income. All of these motivated parties will work hard to make the closing as smooth and quick as possible!
- Motivated Agents – Lower activity in the housing market means real estate agents are dealing with fewer clients this time of year! They have more time to devote to you when buying a home!
- Related Seasonal Sales – Need new furniture when buying a home? It’s usually on sale this time of year.
Why would you ever buy a house in December?
One reason cited for pressing pause on buying a home at Christmas is because the selection dips at that time. A lot of people take their homes off the market during the holidays because they don’t want to deal with open houses, showings and trying to keep the house clean at all times. Because so many sellers take a break, so do many realtors. Less inventory and less realtors? Alright, so why would you ever buy a home at Christmas?
Less buyers means buying a home in December is lower key
Well when buying a home, the lower number of homes for sale and the trend toward realtor vacations do offer some disadvantages, but they also create a lower key buying experience. Yes, there are less sellers, but there are also less buyers. That means you are much less likely to get caught in a bidding war over a house or lose houses to faster offers. The sellers who keep their house listed during Christmas, are motivated sellers. They want to sell their house now, for whatever reason. Maybe they have already committed to buying another home or have to move because of a job transfer. Either way, motivated sellers are a buyer’s friend when buying a home.
Get a better mortgage deal when buying a home?
The lower number of buyers and sellers, further translates to a mortgage slow down when buying a home. Mortgage brokers feel the decrease in sales at the holidays, that’s why they buy like buying homes. Christmas has always been the lean season for mortgage brokers when buying a home. This can work to your advantage when buying a home. When buying a home, your mortgage broker may be inclined to work out a better mortgage package because business is slow.
Save money?
All those other issues aside, buying a home in December can just straight up save you money. The prices of homes listed for sale tend to be higher in summer and lower in winter. That can translate to a savings of five to seven percent. The winter months are also a good time to see a potential house. Do you still love it when there are no leaves on the tree, the lawn is dormant and the gardens don’t present as lush and blooming as they would in the spring? A swimming pool that looks so inviting in August when buying a home, may not look as attractive in December.
How Can I Find Investment Properties on Christmas Day?
With the “For Sale” signs tucked away, many real estate investors might find it difficult to find properties during winter. Hence, you need to make sure you have the right tools to find good investment properties. Consider using an advanced real estate investment tool, such as Mashvisor. When buying a house for investment, Mashvisor’s Property Finder is your best bet. Not only will you have a multitude of options to choose from, but you’ll also be given advanced analytics. These numbers can go a long way to guaranteeing the success of your investment. Regardless of whether it looks like a good time to buy a house or not, your real estate investments should always be backed by the right math.
Fewer homebuying transactions occur during the holidays when buying a home, and some salespeople get bonuses for hitting annual goals. You may be able to negotiate discounts on commissions, or on services like title and escrow by closing before December 31.
Know that as the buyer when buying a home, you’re entitled to choose the title insurer, escrow company, mortgage lender and home inspector.
You don’t get to pick your appraiser when buying a home, however, if you finance your property purchase. That’s to ensure that the valuation is objective.
Looking for some end-of-year tax deductions before buying a home? If you close your home purchase before the end of the year, you can deduct certain costs from your 2020 tax return. They include:
- Mortgage interest
- Loan points
- Property taxes
Remember when buying a home, mortgage interest costs tend to be especially high in the early years of a home loan. So, this could be a nice last-minute tax break for your family, so think about buying a home during this time of year.
Vendors don’t want their property competing with stock hitting the market in the new year
“Before buying a home,a lot of sellers these days are very aware than come January and February when buying a home there is going to be an abundance of stock coming on the market and what tends to happen during that time is buyers tend to steer away from the older stock. They lean more towards the new stock because they think ‘If a property has been on the market for six weeks there’s a reason no one’s buying it — so I shouldn’t either’,” he said.
“When buying a home, you’ve got a lot of small business owners who want to settle before particular dates for tax reasons. Of course the agent’s job is, by law, to get the best price they can for their client but at the same time he knows the whole story with the vendor — we don’t. He knows that the vendor needs to sell before a certain date,” he said.
As you can see when buying a home, many of the reasons to continue searching for a home during the Christmas season are dependent on the buyer’s needs and motivation. If circumstances allow for some flexibility and perseverance, making an offer and purchasing a home at this time of year has its benefits. Buyers just need to be careful not to rush through the process to meet that year-end deadline. While certain advantages can be gained by closing by year-end, this is essentially a 15 to 30-year commitment.
Find Tenants Quickly
If you’re buying a home for investment, the week around Christmas can be a fantastic choice for any real estate investor. January is a busy time, as many people are moving for jobs or changing housing between university semesters. Securing a high-quality property by Christmas means you’ll be ready for tenants when the January rush rolls around.
If you intend to do maintenance work on the property or make several upgrades when buying a home, this also gives you ample time before the upcoming spring rush. You’ll afford yourself four months of maintenance work, and your investment property will be ready for tenants just in time. It’s a good time to buy a home if you intend to rent it out in the spring. If you’re buying a rental property, shopping at Christmastime is definitely a great choice.
