Happy New Year!

If you didn't buy a house in 2014 but you think you might in 2015, earlier is better, especially if you are a first time home buyer. Why, you ask? Because those who buy a home in the first month of the year enjoy a full year of delicious home mortgage interest deductions. Mortgage interest is heavily front loaded so that first year is always a very nice tax deduction. I will of course included my standard disclaimer and suggest that any decision readers make based on taxation should be done under the counsel of a professional tax advisor. That said, buyers can take advantage of a full year of tax benefits and the winter market is generally a little more forgiving on terms. Win, win.

Those of us up in the northern half of the country definitely have a seasonal cycle in real estate. As I have pointed out before, plenty of real estate transactions happen in the winter, but it is about 25% slower and that extra bit of market stress relief can be the difference between a firm seller and a seller with a little room for wiggle.

Get out and brave the elements and find that dream home. We are having a mild winter anyway here in the Northwest. Now is the time!

The Holidays are a 'Serious' Time for Real Estate.

image from www.azcentral.com

I have said it before and I'll say it again; the holidays are a serious time for real estate. Anybody that is buying or selling during this time of year is very serious about real estate.

Buyers that are out in the weather during a time they could be at office parties, visiting with family, shopping for the elusive perfect gift, etc. is very committed to finding a house in a timely fashion. Otherwise why wouldn't they just put it off until the New Year?

Likewise for sellers. They would probably rather not have people tromping through their home during the holidays, when guests are over, the decorations are up, etc. Yet there they are doing just that. Maybe they just really want to sell their house?

This is a great time to buy or sell. All of the classic "looky-loos" are on hiatus while the serious contenders are still in the game. I will likely close four transactions this month and that is as many as I closed in the summer months. Don't take the holidays off, you might just get everything you want in the month of December!

As always, seller's should be mindful of the basics of presented their home to prospective buyers. This might be the year to keep half of your holiday decorations in the attic. Too much clutter can be a negative. Keep baking all those yummy holiday goodies because buyers love the smell of fresh baked cookies. Keep the walkways clear of tripping or slipping  hazards. Keep snow off the driveway and walkway.

Buyers are well advised to keep shopping during the holidays. Sellers are usually easier to negotiate with when they are busy with other aspects of their lives. At the point they have chosen to keep their home open during this month, they are motivated, whether they say so or not.

December is a win-win month for buyers and sellers so neither should shy away from the golden opportunity that December brings to real estate.