Why The Holiday Season May Be a Great Time to Buy a Home

If you believe conventional wisdom buying or selling a home in the holiday season makes no sense. The buyers are looking at real estate agents looking for a break and sellers who do not want to open their homes during the holidays if they haven’t already pulled their listing already.

My opinion, if you believe in conventional wisdom in this real estate market you are the greater fool.

Sellers who are listing in the holiday period are motivated. Odds are they have a job change, a life change, or a mortgage they have to get out of. They need to sell their home and want to do so as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, the buyers in the market are motivated. Who wants to slog around looking at homes in the holiday season when it is cold and bleak and all their friends are drinking the egg nog and having parties? Not these buyers, they too are motivated to make a deal.

So when trying to decide whether to list your home right now expect fewer potential buyers. But be assured that these folks are actual buyers, not tire kickers.

In addition to the typical holiday sellers - those going through major life change or relocating for a new job - there’s another crop of homeowners who are deciding now is the time to sell, according to Coldwell Banker’s Droubi.
“We’re seeing some people with adjustable rate loans whose payments have come up and who are very overextended enter the market,” she said. “At this time of year you’re dealing with people for whom time is not on their side. They need to sell and they need to sell quickly.”

Top 10 Hottest Housing Markets in The United States

So the housing market is in the dumps, is it? These 10 communities in the country are telling a completely different story as housing costs are going up. Never forget that while there are macro trends in real estate they do not affect all communities equally. The media will lump this nebulous concept of real estate into 1 big bucket because it makes things easy for them, but do not get sucked into their malaise.

Every real estate market is different, and in each real estate market you will have hundreds of micro trends. If the people in Salt Lake City were listening to the media they would be giving their homes away, but instead they are enjoying a 21 percent increase in value.

You should take that as a lesson and find out exactly what is happening in your town or city before listing, you maybe surprised that the bleak news coming from your television bears no resemblance to the reality of the realty market.


Top 10 Hottest Housing Markets in The United States

Salt Lake City, Utah
Median Home Price: $233,100
One-Year Increase: 21.9%
Binghamton, N.Y.
Median Home Price: $111,200
One-Year Increase: 19.8%
Salem, Ore.
Median Home Price: $227,900
One-Year Increase: 16.7%
Farmington, N.M.
Median Home Price: 201,900
One-Year Increase: 14.0%
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-N.J.
Median Home Price: $274,500
One-Year Increase: 12.8%
Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
Median Home Price: $127,700
One-Year Increase: 11.8%
Reading, Pa.
Median Home Price: $157,800
One-Year Increase: 11.2%
Glens Falls, N.Y.
Median Home Price: $175,700
One-Year Increase: 10.7%
Spokane, Wash.
Median Home Price: $197,700
One-Year Increase: 10.4%
Cumberland, Md.-W.Va.
Median Home Price: $109,300
One-Year Increase: 9.3%

Top 10 Hottest Housing Markets in The United States

So the housing market is in the dumps, is it? These 10 communities in the country are telling a completely different story as housing costs are going up. Never forget that while there are macro trends in real estate they do not affect all communities equally. The media will lump this nebulous concept of real estate into 1 big bucket because it makes things easy for them, but do not get sucked into their malaise.

Every real estate market is different, and in each real estate market you will have hundreds of micro trends. If the people in Salt Lake City were listening to the media they would be giving their homes away, but instead they are enjoying a 21 percent increase in value.

You should take that as a lesson and find out exactly what is happening in your town or city before listing, you maybe surprised that the bleak news coming from your television bears no resemblance to the reality of the realty market.


Top 10 Hottest Housing Markets in The United States

Salt Lake City, Utah
Median Home Price: $233,100
One-Year Increase: 21.9%
Binghamton, N.Y.
Median Home Price: $111,200
One-Year Increase: 19.8%
Salem, Ore.
Median Home Price: $227,900
One-Year Increase: 16.7%
Farmington, N.M.
Median Home Price: 201,900
One-Year Increase: 14.0%
Allentown-Bethlehem-Easton, Pa.-N.J.
Median Home Price: $274,500
One-Year Increase: 12.8%
Beaumont-Port Arthur, Texas
Median Home Price: $127,700
One-Year Increase: 11.8%
Reading, Pa.
Median Home Price: $157,800
One-Year Increase: 11.2%
Glens Falls, N.Y.
Median Home Price: $175,700
One-Year Increase: 10.7%
Spokane, Wash.
Median Home Price: $197,700
One-Year Increase: 10.4%
Cumberland, Md.-W.Va.
Median Home Price: $109,300
One-Year Increase: 9.3%