| While most people are accustomed to shopping for | | | | into their new houses before school starts again. That |
| homes between Memorial Day and Labor day, that | | | | being the case, sellers have an advantage, because |
| may actually be the worst time of the year to buy a | | | | most of the people who are shopping in the |
| house. The best time of year to go house hunting may | | | | summertime want to get settled quickly. The opposite |
| be the dead of winter, rather than the summertime. | | | | is true in the winter, when there are fewer homes for |
| Most houses are bought and sold in the summer for a | | | | sale and far fewer buyers. Most people who have |
| good reason. That's when children are out of school. | | | | houses for sale in the winter months do so out of |
| Parents understandably want to avoid disrupting their | | | | necessity. At this time of the year, the buyer has an |
| children's' lives if they can possibly help it and moving | | | | edge, as sellers are more likely to be looking to sell |
| when school is out of session is a big help towards | | | | their home quickly from a much smaller pool of |
| avoiding some trauma. | | | | potential buyers. |
| Granted, one doesn't always have the opportunity to | | | | As such, buyers who shop in the winter may find |
| shop for houses at one's leisure; many people move | | | | sellers to be more flexible. They may be willing to |
| because of job transfers or job changes, and with | | | | haggle a bit more on the price, they may be more |
| those, you pretty much have to move when the even | | | | willing to allow concessions for paint or carpeting, and |
| occurs. But if you have control over when you start | | | | they may be more flexible on a closing date. All of |
| house hunting, you might do better to wait until the | | | | these things work to the advantage of the savvy |
| snow comes. Why is that? | | | | home shopper. |
| The summer creates a seller's market. Buyers are | | | | If it suits you to do so, the winter is a great time to buy |
| working on tight schedules; they want to get settled | | | | a house. |