Winter Is the Best Time for Home Buyers

The best days of the year to buy a home all fall in the month of December, according to a new analysis released by ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm.

Buyers who close on a home purchase the day after Christmas—Dec. 26—will likely realize the biggest discounts below full market value compared with any other day of the year, according to the study of more than 23 million single-family home and condo sales over the past six years.

“Closing on a home purchase the day after Christmas or on New Year’s Eve can be one of the most financially beneficial holiday-season gifts you can get,” says Todd Teta, chief product officer with ATTOM Data Solutions. “While lots of folks are shopping the day-after Christmas sales or getting ready to ring in the New Year, our data shows that buyers and investors are buying homes on those days at a discount. That’s a far cry from buying during June, when they are likely paying about a 7 percent premium.”

ATTOM researchers pegged Dec. 26, Dec. 31, and Dec. 4, in that order, as the best days for home buyers to grab the biggest discounts on their home sale.

The best month for buyers may differ regionally. The states that tend to see the biggest overall discounts below full market value in these corresponding months were Ohio (–7.4% in January); Michigan (–7.2% in February); Delaware (–6.3% in February); Tennessee (–6.2% in January); and New Jersey (–5.8% in December).

Article by Realtor Magazine

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