5 things you need to know to buy a home this holiday | Sponsored | journalstar.com
December is a busy month for most people. But that doesn’t mean you have to hang up your home search with your stockings! If you keep these holiday home buying tips in mind, you’ll have plenty to celebrate for the new year.
1. Be ready to compete.
Traditionally, home sales slow during the holiday season, which means fewer buyers in the market to compete against. However, the few buyers out there are serious, so you’ll still need to bring your best offer and be pre-approved for financing.
2. Stay alert.
With limited inventory of homes for sale and serious buyers to compete with, it’s important that you know about price changes and new listings as soon as they hit the market. With HomeRealEstate.com’s Property Watch tool, you can save a search with your criteria and get daily e-mail alerts when matching homes enter the market or your price range.
3. Know the right people.
Over the holidays, a lot of sellers stop advertising their home for sale; however, they are still working with an agent in case the right buyer comes along. If you hire an agent with a large network, you will likely have more opportunities to access homes that aren’t being publicly marketed.
4. Limit spending.
While it may be tempting to buy that 4K TV on sale, any big purchases or financing will hurt your ability to close on a loan. Talk to your loan officer before any big spending.
5. Stay close.
This might be the year to host your holiday get-togethers at your place, so you can make sure you’re available so you can get in to see that perfect home right away.