Too Cold to Buy a Home?
No sane person would buy a home in the winter. I mean who wants to shovel snow just to get a peek at a prospective dwelling or risk frostbite scoping out the back yard? Crazy right?
Wellll…maybe not.
There are some who argue that the best time to buy a home is when nobody else wants to buy a home and that time is now. There are some very logical reasons for this:
- There may be a better chance of a deal in the winter. If a seller needs to move it doesn’t matter how frigid it is and with fewer people looking it becomes a buyer’s market.
- If the house is vacant there is more motivation to unload it quickly now than in the summer. Worrying about an empty home and all the potential problems that arise in cold weather can be stressful on a seller and make them more amenable to negotiate.
- Fewer people looking means you can probably take that extra day to think about it without worrying that another buyer is going to steal your dream home away from you.
- Mortgage rates aren’t affected by cold weather and are still incredibly low…for now.
So if you are thinking about buying a home this year you may want to consider coming out of hibernation a little early. Step out of your lair, dress warmly and start looking for your new den before the other hibernators wake up, start browsing and drive up the prices.
But before you stick one toe out the door, talk with an expert Loan Advisor. They can get you pre-qualified for a loan and let you know the price range you should consider. After all, even though it’s a good time to buy that doesn’t mean it’s a good time to waste time…right?
Written by: Brandon Podzielinski, Loan Advisor at Royal United Mortgage LLC
Published: 1/20/2016