Ho Ho Ho It's That Time of Year, Again.

Christmas 2008, Vancouver WA

Holy Holiday Season, Batman, it's back! If you'll pardon the comic book parlance, it is a crazy time of year for most of us as Thanksgiving approaches and ushers in a hectic holiday period. Sometimes people are buying and selling real estate during the holidays and that can make a frantic situation downright dizzying.

There are positives and negatives surrounding real estate transactions during the holidays. Sellers can be assured that nearly every buyer looking at their house during the next six or seven weeks is a serious buyer that is ready to purchase a home. Why else would the add the frenzied process of home hunting on top of the looney-bin mental state of America's holiday season? Seller's also have the advantage of a tighter inventory during the holidays. Many seller's choose to remove their home from the market in December so they can enjoy a quiet and uninterrupted season. Tighter inventory often means higher prices. Many people tend to dress up the house for holidays and that can also be a positive for selling it.

Buyers also have a bit of an advantage during the holidays in that sellers tend to be motivated to sell if they are willing to hang tough and show through the period.

In general real estate still happens in the month of December and I find that pending sales are only about 10-15% lower than the autumn.

For sellers the winter time in general requires some care. Walkways should be kept free of leaves and ice or snow. Any holiday decorations should be arranged without any cords or cables crossing those pathways. Sellers should be encouraged to decorate but careful not to have too much clutter. Clutter does tend to make a home feel cramped.

Here are a few tips from the HGTV's Front Door on real estate during the holidays:

Frontdoor-home-during-the-holidays