Issue Date: November 22, 2005

Holidays Bring Serious Homebuyers

By Jody Zink
Licensed Realtor in Ohio & Michigan

As temperatures go down and holiday decorations go up, homebuyers and sellers begin turning their attention away from real estate. The thinking is that the real estate market takes a hiatus between Halloween and the day after Super Bowl Sunday.

I say, nonsense. Not everyone watches football. And besides, when everyone else starts stuffing turkeys or heading to the mall, staying in the real estate market could put you at a huge advantage. Contrary to popular belief, November, December and January can be ideal times to purchase a residence. This time of year it's often the highly motivated sellers who have their homes listed for sale. That's good for them because they're not competing with the rest of the world. And because there are fewer buyers, serious ones tend to encounter fewer bidding wars. Moreover, buyers who are shopping for a house over the holidays tend to be more motivated.

I'll acknowledge that icicles hanging from the gutters with muddy walkways and trampled snow doesn't really help a house show at its best. The good news? Serious homebuyers don't care. If you're selling, keep walkways clear and ice-free. And if you're concerned that the snow and cold might be a turn-off, consider a series of well-placed photos showing the house in other times of the year.

In fact, with winter conditions typically the harshest of the whole year, buyers can see how well the house holds up to the elements. If the inside is toasty without the thermostat cranked to 90 and there's no water dripping down the walls from ice dams on the roof, some buyers might take out their checkbooks.

The holidays offer sellers a perfect opportunity to stage and showcase their home for prospective buyers. Perhaps some buyers would like a tall, live Christmas tree that would look great in your spacious family room with high ceilings. Tasteful holiday décor can even move buyers to overlook a home's flaws and help them imagine living there. Overdoing it though, could be a calamity. You may like your house strung with enough flashing lights to guide planes to Toledo Express, but keep in mind--your tastes may not mesh with your buyer's. When in doubt, keep it simple.

Another thing to consider: Realtors are often able to spend more time with clients during the holidays than they can during the busier times of the year. The same is often true for lenders, home inspectors, appraisers and others involved in the transaction. Unless you call at 6 p.m. Christmas Eve, the responses to your phone calls may be quicker than in the busy springtime and summer markets.

Now, seller, you're probably asking, Won't this disrupt my holidays? Of course, but just for this year. You do want to sell the house, don't you? Focus on next year's holidays.

Jody Zink is a licensed REALTOR in Ohio and Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. Her column appears every other week in the Toledo Free Press. She can be reached at jody@jodyzinkrealtor.com or 419-725-1881.