Best Times of Year to Buy a Home

When you're ready to buy a home, you might be so excited to start the process that you disregard the market entirely. While you can begin working with local realtors at any time, waiting several months may benefit you.

The market fluctuates throughout the year. Seasonality can affect many factors, including purchase price, the number of homes available and competition. Therefore, being strategic about when you start your search can pay off.

Aim for Winter

Believe it or not, winter is the best time of the year for a buyer! Most buyers will shop during the warmer months.

The real estate market is hotter during the spring and summer. The weather is nicer, many have tax refunds to pad their down payment and families have kids about to take a few months off school. Therefore, it makes sense to shop in the spring.

Sellers know that. As a result, you'll see more listings in the spring. But with so many people looking to buy, prices get high. Depending on where you live, bidding wars can ensue. You can go through the entire buying process only to get outbid at the last second!

So why winter?

For one, there's less competition to drive up prices. Additionally, sellers who put listings up during the winter months are often very motivated to sell. Some buyers suspend their listings around the holidays because they know buyers are scarce. But those who keep their listings up typically want to sell as fast as possible. That means they may have more wiggle room in the purchase price. Some will even throw in extra perks to attract buyers like you.

Pair that with motivated local realtors wanting to get a commission during the slow season, and it's a recipe for success from a buyer's standpoint.

There are some challenges for buying in the winter. For example, there are usually fewer listings, fewer open houses to attend and more difficult inspection processes. But if you want a great deal and hope to avoid bidding wars that often occur during the spring, winter is the best time to buy.

Read a similar article about how to find qualified real estate buyers here at this page.

Guide on How to Advertise You're Selling Your House

Selling your house is a big undertaking, and if it’s your first time selling a home, you probably have a lot of questions. Although every homeowner’s situation is different, there are some time-tested strategies available to efficiently sell your home in any market.

If you’re looking for tips, check out this brief guide to selling your home:

Work With a Realtor

If you want to get the most out of the home-selling experience, consider partnering with a Realtor. These are real estate professionals who often have large advertising networks to get homes in front of the right buyers.

Keep in mind that most Realtors receive a percentage-based commission on the closing price of your home, so you will need to factor this into your plans. Also, since Realtors take care of scheduling for showings, you may need to adjust your schedule to allow for last-minute visitors who want to walk through your home.

Use Social Media

Although we recommend partnering with a Realtor in our guide to selling your home, there are ways to advertise your home for sale on your own. A benefit to selling your home as the owner is that you get to skip the commission.

If you take this route, social media can be a very powerful resource. When you list your home for sale on social media platforms, you can upload pictures and video tours, provide personalized answers to questions and pay no advertising costs.

Make sure you read the rules of any social media platforms you plan to use first. Some social media platforms have regulations about listing homes for sale, and you also need to be aware of scammers on the web.

Research the Market

If you’re going to advertise your home for sale, take some time to research your market. Real estate tends to be hyper-local, meaning what works in one town may not work in the next town over. Take a look at buying and selling trends in your area and even your neighborhood to find the best advertising strategies.

Read a similar article about sellers agent here at this page.

4 Most Popular Cities in Canada

The Great White North is home to many beloved cities. Canada is a diverse country, resulting in unique cities with distinct personalities. From the urban jungle that is Toronto to cities like Vancouver that embrace nature, there's a lot to love about Canada. Here are some of the country's most popular cities.

Toronto

We can't talk about great Canadian Cities without mentioning Toronto! Toronto homes for sale are pricey, but that comes with living in the country's most populous city. Toronto is Canada's financial hub, making it home to colorful neighborhoods and tons to do.

If you like the urban feel, Toronto has several walkable neighborhoods. There are also many fine museums, art centers and restaurants to die for. But even nature lovers flock to Toronto. There's easy access to Lake Ontario, and three major rivers intersect the city. As a result, people who invest in Toronto homes for sale can spend their days having fun at parks or exploring many trails.

Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls is a popular tourist destination, and it's not hard to see why. It sits on the Niagara River's western shore, overlooking the Horseshoe Falls. There are several tourist-filled areas, but Niagara Falls residents have plenty to enjoy.

It's a nature-lovers paradise! A beautiful wine region, yearly festivals and countless outdoor activities are also on your doorstep.

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal city with a stunning mountain backdrop. It's in British Columbia on Canada's west coast. Despite having a population of more than 2.4 million in the metropolitan area, Vancouver has a noticeably relaxed charm.

It's home to many outdoor sites. There are ski resorts in the mountains, Vancouver Island to the west and plenty of parks to enjoy nature within the city limits.

Montreal

Montreal is Canada's biggest French-speaking city. Throughout most of Canada's history, the municipality of Quebec was the country's economic hub. While that title now belongs to Toronto, Montreal has the beauty of Canada's past on full display.

Visitors and residents can stroll through historic cobblestone streets, appreciate architecture that stands the test of time and see some of Canada's finest landmarks.

Read a similar article about home selling guide here at this page.

How to Find the Right Real Estate Agent for You

Hiring a professional real estate agent when buying or selling a home can help you make smart decisions and avoid costly mistakes read more

3 Reasons You Should Buy a Home

Buying a home has long been part of the American dream, but for some people, renting or other living arrangements may be better ideas. If you’ve found yourself wondering whether your living situation is all that it can be, below are three very good reasons you should buy a home:

1. It’s Yours

Possibly the number one reason to buy a house is that it’s yours. When you own your own home, there’s no landlord to ask permission when you want to make changes, and you get to decide what fixtures and appliances go into your living space.

You may also get tax incentives for owning your own home depending on your location. Some homeowners find that owning a home provides a greater sense of security since there are no leases or rental offices to deal with. When you know that your home will be there for you each night, there’s a sense of security that follows.

2. You Build Equity

When you buy a house, you’re purchasing an investment. Each mortgage payment that you make and every upgrade that you complete adds equity to this investment. If and when you decide to sell, your hard work and dedication pay off as your home will likely be worth more than what you paid for it.

Many people make millions through real estate investing. To do this, they buy homes at low prices, put in the time and energy to complete renovations and upgrades and then sell the homes for much more money. This strategy is commonly referred to as flipping, but even if you don’t plan to sell your home, you can still use its increased value as collateral to get business loans and personal finance loans.

3. Houses Appreciate in Value

In addition to the equity you build into a home you own, real estate is a proven appreciable asset. Home prices may go up and down in value with swings in the economy, but housing is almost always going to go up in value overall over time. This means you are almost guaranteed to have an asset that you can sell for more money in the future as long as you time the market right.

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