Military home buyers know it doesn’t matter which season of the year it is; when PCS orders come through, it's time to go, even in the winter. However, a wintertime move isn’t always a bad option for home buyers. In fact, it’s often a relief to avoid the stiff home buying competition and summertime mover unavailability.
Buying a home in winter offers a unique experience compared to the summer market. With fewer buyers and motivated sellers, you may face less competition and have more room for negotiation. Winter also allows you to see how a home holds up in harsher conditions, from heating efficiency to insulation, giving you a clearer picture of the property's long-term performance.
So stay tuned—if you’re hoping to buy a home this winter and need a few more reasons to feel comfortable with the idea, we have the information you need.
1. Real Estate Professionals Have More Time
If tradition holds in your area, real estate professionals from all points of the buying and moving process are less busy during the winter months. This means more attention to your search and more flexibility for planning your move.
Real Estate Agents
If you’ve ever felt the frustration of a non-communicative real estate agent, especially during a traditional military move over the summer, you’ll understand the value of an agent with more time on their hands.
During the winter months, your real estate agent will be just as eager to plan closing day details as you. Agents will have more time for all of the home buying activities, from showings to research and producing creative strategies for finding the perfect home.
Financial and Legal Representation
Your real estate agent doesn’t work alone; they count on a team of pros like mortgage brokers, attorneys, appraisers, and office staff who ensure a smooth transaction. When the real estate market slows in the winter, this team also has more time to prioritize your purchase.
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Home Inspector
Your home inspector will also have more time to check the house and focus on potentially expensive updates and repairs like a faulty gutter system, an old furnace, or drafty windows.
Professional Movers
Professional movers work on strict schedules over the summer months, often at premium prices. If you're moving in January or February, chances are their schedules have more availability, and there might be room for negotiating fees. It’s common for movers to charge less over the winter and on weekdays.
2. Lower Asking Prices and Less Competition
In years past, the winter months were slow in real estate. Buyers didn’t want to brave the weather or uproot families during the middle of the school year. But as we all know, things have changed significantly over the last few years.
Depending on your local real estate trends, you’ll find a continuum of what "lower asking prices and less competition" means. Certainly, there are still fewer home shoppers over the winter than in summer, so the expectation of dogged bidding wars driving up prices is reduced.
And, thanks to current higher interest rates, houses are sitting longer. So, instead of going under contract in a day or two, they’re lingering for weeks or longer. Even with the changing real estate landscape, wintertime buyers have more flexibility when searching for the right house and making an offer that a seller can’t refuse.
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3. Sellers Are Motivated and Ready to Go
Given a choice, most homeowners would prefer to sell during the peak summer season. But as military homeowners know, it's not always possible to sell a home from May to August. So, as a home buyer, know that during the winter season, most sellers have a significant reason for listing their home, and they’re likely motivated by a specific timeline. This timeline also allows you to negotiate contract terms like sale price, closing costs, move-in dates, and any furnishings you might have your eye on.
4. Home Inspections Can Reveal More
Sometimes (especially for first-time home buyers), it takes effort to see past a gorgeous exterior and focus on the inner workings of the house's interior. During the warm months, issues with the home are often camouflaged. For example, owners can showcase a stunning garden or a sun-drenched living room instead of the old, inefficient windows.
Over the winter months, however, the weather peels back pretty layers and reveals what’s waiting inside and outside. You’ll see how ice and snow affect the house, including snow removal and telltale signs of inadequate attic insulation.
Photo from iStock.com/fizkes
5. Tax Savings If You Time It Right
If you execute a carefully planned home purchase, you could take advantage of this year’s homeowner-associated tax deductions if you close by December 31. The IRS says married home buyers can deduct mortgage interest up to $750,000 from their loan on a first or second home. If you file separately or alone, it’s $375,000. If you decide to itemize, you can deduct up to $10,000 ($5,000 single or filing separately) of state and property taxes.
Winter home buying offers many advantages, including potential savings, more time for searching, and the availability of real estate professionals with ample time for your transaction. Military buyers know that timing is a luxury, so learning to take advantage of an off-season move could be a wise investment in time and money.
Find even more help for the home buying process with our free guides, including our featured resource below.
