When is the best time to buy a home?

In the spring, many homeowners take advantage of the warming temperatures to put their homes on the market.  They spend the late winter making improvements, and now the houses are fresh and ready to go.  For the buyer, there are many choices, which can be a good thing if you aren’t sure exactly what you want, or if you’re flexible.  But for those buys who want something (or some location) specifically, spring can be a tough time to buy, as well.

All the competition can give you many options, but it can also keep prices a little higher and cause homeowners to be less likely to accept a lower offer.  They might suspect a higher offer will come along if they’re patient.

Another thing to keep in mind:  Easter weekend can also be a good time to buy.  If you can find a realtor willing to put in an offer during that holiday, you might beat out the competitors who wait for the work week.

In the winter, however, the opposite is true.  Fewer homes are on the market, and all prices tend to be on the low side (comparatively).  Plus, if you buy around Christmas, most homeowners are not only in a good mood, but they really want to sell their home – otherwise, they wouldn’t put up with showings that time of year.  This means they might be more likely to accept a lower offer, so a buyer could get a good bargain.