One may not realize the advantages and benefits of buying a home in the fall season. There are certain parts of the country where it doesn’t matter what time of the year it is in buying a home, such as Florida, as the weather is always ideal. If someone is selling a beautiful home in a safe neighborhood at an affordable price it won’t matter what the season is for some. However, other parts of the country are very season-oriented. The seasons clearly define the activities that are conducive such as buying a home. It is obvious spring and summer is the optimum times to buy a home. What about buying a home in the fall season instead?
Why the Fall?
Autumn is a beautiful time of the year when the leaves start to change colors. Spring is considered the best time to buy a home, because people feel refreshed after surviving a cold, snowy winter. The flowers are starting to bloom and school will be out in session in the coming months. However, people are tending to their front and back yards with raking the fallen leaves, which means a better landscape since the summer saw a lot of maintenance on the exteriors of a house. Not only that, the fall season is cooler in temperature. Sometimes there’s an Indian summer every now and then. The best part of all this is when people start gearing up for the major holidays of Thanksgiving and Christmas.
Pros and Cons of Buying a Home in the Fall
Prices and Limited Choices
The best advantage of all is the excellent prices that are available to the buyer during the fall season. There may not be a big demand for selling one’s home like it is in the springtime, but for those that are selling they’re willing to accommodate in price. With such a high demand for buying homes in the spring the prices are going to be higher.
Nice Landscaping from the Summer and Inclement Weather/Holiday Rush
As mentioned earlier the outside of the home will look manicured and well-kept due to the summertime projects of maintaining the exterior of the house carrying over into the fall. There is the added incentive of cleaning up the yard from autumn leaves falling to the ground. Normally the fall season experiences good weather, but there are those times, especially if you are looking for a home later in the fall season when an early snow can appear. Some people are gearing up for the holidays in the latter fall, so it’s best to buy a home in September and October.
Lenders may knock off fees and Not all lenders may offer this deal
You may be tempted to buy a house in the spring, because there is more to choose from, yet you won’t be able to take advantage of certain deals. This is ideal for that contrarian shopper who does the opposite of the crowd. When buying a home in the fall, home loans are less in demand. That means some of these lenders may be able to forego fees typically attached to the purchase of a home. This is their way of wooing off-peak buyers. The downside is that not all of these lenders may offer waiving of fees.
Negotiating is ideal for Real Estate agents and home buyers and If you don’t ask or negotiate you lose
A real estate agent once said “everything is negotiable.” That is certainly another great advantage of buying a home in the fall. Some real estate agents have done their best negotiating during the fall months. Contrarian shoppers are at a great position to negotiate during this favorable time of the year. All one needs to do is ask. The disadvantage may be in not getting what you ask for or the real estate agent is unsuccessful in negotiations.
Important Considerations
You probably never realized all of the pros and cons of buying a home in the fall months. Most people are too busy with kids starting school and then the holidays roll around. If you want to buy a home at a good price, plus negotiate for a truly good deal, then consider buying a home when the leaves are changing colors and the weather is still nice.
