Selling or Buying a Home Over the Holidays? Good Idea or Not so Much?

Why selling and buying over the holidays is not such a bad idea

It's happened again-the Holiday season has sneaked up on us and before you know it the turkey will be in the oven and halls will be decked.  No doubt about it, this time of year gets pretty hectic for everyone.  That's one reason that the housing market traditionally gets a bit slower during November and December, but there are some powerful positives to selling or buying a home over the holidays.
If you need to SELL your home now, here are some reasons that listing your home now could work in your favor:

1. There are fewer newly listed homes-this means that potentially more buyers will be viewing your property
2. Some buyers are motivated to close prior to year end-tax reasons, family relocations, etc.
3. Homes tastefully decorated for the Season, smelling warm and welcoming with holiday scents, entice buyers to picture themselves living there

If you need to BUY a home over the holidays, there are some good points for you too:

1. A seller who lists their home this time of year is generally very motivated to sell
2. There are fewer buyers overall looking-so your offer could have a better shot at acceptance
3. Close escrow before the end of the year, and some of your closing costs could be tax deductible in January

Bottom line, if you need to buy or sell a home, don't let the Holiday season discourage you-there's nothing more rewarding than spending the Holiday in your new home.
Leonard Newman is the Broker/Owner of Newman Realty, located in downtown San Juan Capistrano, directly across from the historic Mission.