By John Voket
The data have it: October is one of the better months to buy, or sell.
Homebuyers, according to RealtyTrac®, tend to get the best deals in October, based on an analysis of more than 30 million single-family home and condominium sales that happened over the last 15 years—of the 2.7 million sales closed in October over that period, the average sale price was 2.6 percent below average estimated full market value.
Why the downtrend? One of the main causes is lesser demand, which results in lower prices. Another cause could be the presence of “spring leftovers”—the homes that didn’t sell in the spring or summer placed back on the market, at a reduced price, in fall.
Historically, fall has been an ideal season for homebuyers—it lacks the pace of peak real estate season, which can be intimidating (especially to newcomers), and it offers time to buy between the frenetic start of the school year and the holidays. The beginning of school, as well, means that fewer homebuyers will be out searching for homes, lessening the competition for other buyers, and bidding wars, as a result.
Still, fall can be ideal for those on the other side of the closing table—sellers. Sellers in the fall generally attract more serious buyers than at other times of year, upping the chance they’ll get a well-intentioned offer. They also could be on a faster path to closing, as well, because fall is outside of peak season—some buyers, then, may have a pressing reason to buy.
October, specifically, is also ideal for both parties in that appliances go on sale—manufacturers deeply discount previous years’ models to make way for the next years’ hitting the shelves. How about that for incentive?
Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, I’m prepared to help you with your real estate needs. Contact me today!
Nancy M. Alexander Stone Harbor and Avalon NJ Real Estate, Long & Foster Avalon
