When is the Best Time to Buy, Sell or List a Home?

What goes up must come down, or maybe it doesn’t?  Trying to speculate what will happen in the future is impossible because if you could the 2008 downturn wouldn’t have affected anyone and the Superbowl game wouldn’t be worth watching.  best time to buy a home - best time to sell a homeKnowing the best time to sell your home is just as important as knowing how much to sell it for.  The following will give you an insight on when the best times would be to buy, sell or list your home.

Besides the different times of the year it is important to understand what a “buyers” market is and what a “sellers” market is.  The definition is self-serving in that one is better for the buyer and the other is better for the seller.  Ultimately these markets fluctuate primarily depending on whether the industry has an influx in houses for sale or not, it’s simple supply and demand.  On the other hand depending on the economic status with loan rates, stock market status and other indicators it may not even matter if there is an exorbitant amount of homes on the market or not.  There is nothing that can be planned for so just understand “it is what it is” and some areas are affected more or less by these indicators.

The majority of sellers look to prepare for listing in the spring because that is when the buyers begin to look.  The weather has a big impact on home buying and moving because the majority of people would rather not move during the dead of winter, even in Florida!  Another good time would be the summer, this is a time when the school year is coming to a close making it a good opportunity to relocate or change school districts.

As far as buying a home the most logical time frame would be when sellers have broken into the market.  According to the National Association of Realtors the months between April and July are when the most sales take place.  On the other hand if you did wait until the “off-season” or were forced to buy during an odd time of the year you will need to take into consideration that there would be less available BUT the prices may be lower.  There are times when the market isn’t running like a well-oiled machine and the housing prices are more competitive because the seller knows the time of the year isn’t right.  It would be like going into a car dealership that has very little sales, you end up being their number one (and only) customer and are able to have your pick of the litter.

No matter when you are looking to buy and sell it is important to do your research and be aware of the market.  Be sure and hire a good real estate professional to guide you and help you complete the transaction.  Last but not least when buying or selling a home use www.moversatlas.com as a carfax for your home and community, it will give you that edge when researching your potential new home and its surrounding neighborhoods.

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