There is no best time to purchase a home.  Homes are on the market year round.  You may have heard that winter is a bad time to purchase a home.  I don't understand why. Homes are still being sold in the winter.  During the winter months the motivated buyers are searching, which gives the sellers a better chance to sell their home if all the right factors are in place.  When the nice weather rolls around, that's when the unmotivated home buyers begin looking for homes.  The only exception is when it is a family searching and they do not want to interupt the school year for their kids.

Looking for a home should not be a long drawn out process.  A real estate professional should sit down with you and find out exactly, in detail, what you are looking for in a home.  The more details the agent has, the better chances of finding a home for you.

Start by making 2 lists.  List 5 MUST HAVES in your dream home on the first and then on the second, list your WANTS.  The "wants list" includes items that would be nice to have in your home, but can live without if it is not included.  For example, it would be nice to have a pool, but you can live without it.  Your "must haves" list will include things that you definitely require in a home, such as 3 bedrooms.

These lists will make searching for a home so much easier and less frustrating.  Chances are greater in finding a home you like if this list is followed.

Compare this to grocery shopping.  Let's say you are searching for cereal.  There are hundreds of different cereals on the market.  How do you find one to buy?  I'm sure you have an idea what ingredients the cereal must have, which narrows down your search.  Home buying is no different.

Remember one thing: there is NO PERFECT home.  If it has your 5 MUST HAVE items, you absolutely like the home and you feel comfortable in it, then it must be right, no matter what time of year it is.