I believe you have to market during the holidays because people who look during this time of the year are motivated. You are right that life doesn't schedule its events around the holidays!

Faina, I think there are serious buyers and that they are looking for serious bargains.

Gary - these two appointments were a reminder that some buyers may not be in a position to wait and that the most motivated ones are still looking.

Patricia - I always tell my sellers that getting a low offer is better then no offer, because it gives you a platform for negotiatinf and it means the buyers liked the house. I think holiday season buyers are motivated to buy at the market price. I am not sure if the "bargain" is the primary motivating factor. 

Faina- I hope you do sell this home now and then send a press release about it to the news media that you sold a house during the holidays in a slow market! Now that is a news story waiting to happen but do they care? Katerina

I take pretty much everything the news media says with a grain of salt.  I tend to try to cross-check anything they write about. 

We market out homes throuhgout the year.  In a soft market or not, people still need a home,  Marketing needs to be used to make the home you're marketing stand out from the crowd.

Katerina - I hope this would be the right buyer, but even if they don't buy -my point i that there are buyers looking because their family circumstances is the driving force for their move. The condition of the market can make a difference, but when people have to buy, they can't wait for the market to change.

Terri - I agree with you. There would be some buyers who will wait because they can wait, and then there are those who need to buy, regardless of the market conditions. Thanks for your comment.