Funny – I was just writing my own blog about our local real estate market when I came across this article from San Diego. It’s not local – but it hits home – thought I’d share and add my two cents….
SHOULD YOU BUY A HOME DURING THE HOLIDAYS?
Once Thanksgiving is over, the real estate world starts to wind down for the holidays and it typically reawakens after the Times Square ball drops and resolutions come to life.
But if you’re a potential homebuyer who’s prepared to close in today’s competitive market, you may want to keep shopping while everyone’s waiting for spring, some real estate agents suggest.
The Caton Team has found that buyers on a concrete budget find great values if they are flexible during the holidays. We’re ready when you are.
That advice may be especially relevant this year for consumers who have repeatedly lost out on deals because of a limited and continually decreasing supply of homes, but remain persistent. Buying intensity typically cools down at the start of fall through early January, which could increase the odds for those with more patience.
Related: Report: We’re in the midst of a housing recovery
Home sales have increased from October to November only four times since 1988, when DataQuick began to track home sales and prices locally.
In the other years, transactions have fallen from anywhere between 0.2 percent and nearly 26 percent. Home listings have dropped off from 3 percent to 11 percent during those months in the past three years.
“During Christmas, people will be focused on the holidays and nothing really happens,” said Ken Pecus, co-founder of San Diego-based Ascent Real Estate and 20-plus-year real estate veteran.
“The first week of January, the new mindset kicks in, resolutions kick in, and in the second and third week, people look at their taxes, and almost overnight, by the end of January, you have almost twice the buyers in the market,” Pecus added.
Would-be buyers historically have bowed out during the winter season because they are overwhelmed by holiday spending and commitments. There’s also the aversion of moving in the middle of a school year. Consumer interest typically picks back up again in the New Year and peaks in the spring.
Related: Demand for homes stays strong during the fall
Certain buyers may be well-served to buy during the winter because of sellers who must move because of:
• A job change or transfer.
• The possible sunsetting of the Mortgage Forgiveness Debt Relief Act, said Donna Sanfilippo, president of the San Diego Association of Realtors. The potential expiration of the law, which lets certain home sellers get tax relief on mortgage debt forgiven by lenders, has pushed home sellers scrambling to list and short sell their homes before the end of the year.
In some cases though, the rush to do that is unwarranted. Consult a tax pro to determine if short selling is right for you.
• The fact they’ve been waiting to sell their home for a long time and need to buy something quickly. If you can wait a little longer to sell your home and want to maximize your profit, then wait until the peak spring months.
Even with the expected holiday homebuying slowdown, buyers should know that the inventory level may still be a challenge.
Right now, there are more than 4,700 active listings in the county, down 11 percent from October and down more than half from the same time a year ago, based on numbers from the San Diego Association of Realtors. The current level marks at least a three-year low.
In the San Francisco Peninsula – inventory has been low all year, fueling multiple offers on homes and driving prices up due to competition outweighing supply. There has been moments, for example in San Carlos we had 25 listings and Redwood City had 36 – for the whole city. That’s not enough homes for the volume of demand out here.
Buyers also may deal with the challenges of bidding against cash buyers and investors, who can look more attractive than traditional buyers.
The Caton Team has witnessed Cash Buyers at all price points – under $500,000 to over 1,500,000. Sellers have the opportunity to pick the best offer among several. And sellers are being savvy – taking higher down payments when possible. When The Caton Team prepares an offer, it is more than just price.
Their share of the homebuying market has remained strong. Almost 28 percent of total homes sold in October were purchased by absentee buyers, many of whom are investors. That’s up from 27 percent logged a year ago and in September.
Hovering near the peak, almost one-third of buyers bought with cash in October.
“I’m expecting 60 to 70 people at my open house,” said San Diego Realtor Miguel Contreras before a recent Wednesday showing at a property in La Mesa. “The property is a fixer, so it’s mostly investors.”
Sounds familiar in the SF Peninsula market. Open houses visitors are strong, and often there is enough activity to warrant an offer day before the following weekend. I’ve seen homes have one open house and take offers on Monday. That’s a break neck pace if you ask me, and I’m a veteran. My first time buyers can’t move that fast. And with prices climbing, the early bird get’s the worm if he can’t process the information fast enough.
Related: Another hurdle for short sales
Contreras, who worked during Thanksgiving week, said he’ll make himself available throughout the holidays to cater to what he expects to be a continued interest from investors, cash buyers and traditional buyers.
The same goes for Cherilyn Jones, another local real estate agent. Last week, she was preparing for two new listings to come online. Her most common clients are first-time homebuyers and investors.
“The investors have not slowed down,” Jones said. “We get holiday freeze, but not for investor clients. It’s hard to find them properties because their criteria is very, very specific … and the deals are not as good as they used to be.”
Article By: Lily Leung
Last Thoughts…
In our 25+ years of local Real Estate experience, buying during the holidays can truly benefit buyers who’ve been outbid all year. We’ve found homes for buyers over the holiday season that would have been snapped up in a hot second during the spring or summer. As long as buyers are flexible and open minded – there is definitely some Christmas Miracles in the making this time of year. Keep a look out for my next Cinderella Stories about Russ and Natalie and the home we found over Thanksgiving!
I read this article at: http://www.utsandiego.com/news/2012/dec/01/does-it-make-sense-buy-home-during-winter/?page=2#article
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Thanks for reading – Sabrina
The Real Estate Beat 
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