Every year, we post some version of the same message to buyers: If you want to buy a house, the best time to make an offer--if you are serious and can move quickly--is between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Sellers who really want to sell are beginning to come up against winter, and the end of the calendar and tax years. They have begun to heat their homes, and sometimes plow their driveways. There are fewer active buyers, and not all properties have as much curb appeal once leaves have fallen and flowers are gone.
All of those factors taken together give buyers a last chance to buy in 2021. The number of multiple offers have declined in most areas, yet mortgage rates are still attractive. The choice of listings may be smaller, but more of them are actually going to be available for more than a day or two. If house hunting has been discouraging this year, think about giving it another chance this fall.
That means that you need to start now, at the beginning of October, so that you can be ready to go to contract in a month. Buyers, make your lists, set your priorities, and make sure that you are prequalified. Serious buyers are good buyers, and more likely to be decisive. If you use that logic to your advantage, you may be spending the holidays in your new home!
