Triangle Property Lines: 5 Reasons Why You Should be House Hunting During the Holidays

5 Unexpected Upsides to Off-Season House Hunting... And one will be a surprise!

1. Lower competition for your dream home.

In most places, the summer months are the hottest months of the year in real estate, because families with children prefer to move into their new homes before September. House shopping during the off-season can mean

• fewer competitors,
• fewer multiple offers scenarios, and
• lower likelihood of being outbid.

2. Very motivated sellers

Though there are fewer sellers during the off season, those who are active tend to be highly, highly motivated. Sellers who are willing to clear the whole family out of the house when everyone else is having warm fuzzy holiday gatherings are motivated to get their homes sold - and ready to entertain your offer to make that happen. Even some banks and asset managers handling short sales and foreclosures may have above-average motivation to move properties off their books and get transactions closed before the year end. Don’t expect to score a mansion for pennies, but you might get you slightly more consideration, responsiveness and speed than in a distressed transaction at any other time of year

3. Can’t miss properties that won’t wait

Off-seasons are when fewer new listings come on the market. That said, this is a great time to spot hidden gems that offer unique mixes of property fundamentals, amenities and location. There are sellers who have stellar homes, but have been holding off on listing all year for some reason or other. They end up listing at just the time that works for their lives. If you’re a picky buyer, putting your house hunt on hiatus when most other shoppers take a break puts you at the serious risk of missing “the one.”

Search for distressed properties HERE

4. Keeping a handle on your cash.

You’d be amazed at how many buyers and sellers find their financial plans - and cash cushions - derailed by taking themselves out of the house hunting mindset. Overspending is easy to do. If you pass your holiday season focused on Open Houses and showings, versus how to find the bow big enough to stick atop your wife’s new car, you’ll minimize the likelihood of having to press pause on your real estate plans while you recoup from your hemorrhage of holiday funds.

5. Money pits become crystal clear.

Buyers rely on inspections and disclosures to surface the hidden defects and property issues. But if you’ve ever read a property inspection report, you know they come with a laundry list of caveats and exceptions, line items where the inspector simply can’t make a call or vouch for a feature, because they could not see the feature in action during the time they were on site. Off-season house hunters have the unique advantage of being able to see the roof, drainage systems, slopes and basements of a property performing under the precise weather conditions - rain, snow, wind and sleet - that often cause unpleasant surprises to spring and summer home buyers. If ‘your’ target property has a roof leak, you’ll know it, if you view it at this time of year - and that allows you and the seller to negotiate a fix or a credit before you lock in your price and terms.

Remember: The normal rules apply

The off-season is a great time to buy, but don’t expect to score a mansion for pennies. And, our real estate “seasion” here in the Triangle, NC is year round. Have questions, let’s talk! You may find you’ll get you more consideration, responsiveness, speed, and maybe a better deal than shopping any other time of year