Buyers, are you waiting to purchase in the spring or summer when everyone else will be too?  The winter months make a great time to purchase homes that have been on the market for a while.  Maybe now would be a good time to put in that offer and get some negotiating done.  Sellers who have kept their homes on the market are motivated and willing to entertain reasonable and fair offers---no one has to give their home away--and sellers are more negotiable at this time.

It's also a great time of year to look at those other things you can't or may not be able to see in the summer.  Is there a roof leak?  Is the house in a flood zone? How well does the house stay heated?  Was the home affected by our recent storms?  What do the grounds look like under the trees and bushes?  You should be able to tell this time of year.  This is the time of year to easily find those and other pesky problems. .

Savvy buyers know that this is the BEST time to buy as traditionally many buyers wait until spring or early summer when the buds and birds are back again and when there is a great deal of competition from other buyers.  Homes and property are being purchased in December and January.   Some buyers are making offers now, but with spring will come more purchasers.   Sellers won't have need to consider being as flexible then.