House hunting during the holiday season can be a challenge. Just when you would rather be at home decorating your own Christmas tree you are forced to be out looking at another set of homes for sale. Just when you want to be planning the menu for the family meal that you are hosting you are going to another meeting with a real estate agent.
If you find yourself looking at homes for sale during this busy holiday season, it is important that you create a list of priorities for the things that you are looking for so that you can make the best use of your time.
House hunting is a job that is always difficult, but when you are looking at buying a home during the months of November and December it is important that you use all of the available resources to make sure that the process is completed sooner rather than later.
How Many Different Homes Have You Purchased in Your Lifetime?
There are some times in life when buying a home is very exciting. Right after getting married. Right after getting that first big bonus at your new job. Right after moving to your dream location for a new medical assignment. Local realtors have many homes that they can show their clients, but it is important to make sure that the houses that you look are at an exact match for what you are looking for. From the number of bedrooms and bathrooms, to whether a home is a two story or a ranch, to how close a home is to a great neighborhood school, the priorities that you have should guide your search, especially during the busy holiday season.
Consider some of these facts and figures about the real estate market in America and the impact this market has on the nation’s economy:
- 44% of home buyers look online for properties when they begin the process of looking for homes for sale.
- 32% of people looking to buy new homes for sale are first time house buyers.
- 20% of buyers seek to purchase a townhouse, according to Zillow.
- 88% of buyers purchased their home through a real estate agent or broker in the year 2014. This represents a share of buyers that has steadily increased from 69% average in the year 2001.
- 56% of millennials and 46% of Baby Boomers prefer to live in neighborhoods that are easily and conveniently walkable.
- 52% of home buyers cited finding the right property as the most difficult part of their home buying process.
Many families have great holiday memories, but if you find yourself looking for a home during the few short weeks left between now and the end of the year, it is important that you have a specific plan in place. With the right realtor who understands exactly what it is your are looking for you can create one of the best holiday memories ever.
