If you’re a prospective first-time homebuyer in Atlanta, there are many factors to consider when you first begin to embark on your house hunt — from getting your finances in order to establish a list of your “wants” and “must-haves” in a house. Of course, one of the most basic questions you need to ask yourself is, “is it the right time to buy a home in Atlanta?”
There is no “wrong” time of year to buy a house, but different seasons have their own pros and cons to consider. Let’s walk through the differences of buying a home in spring and summer versus buying a home in fall and winter.
Buying a home in spring and summer
The spring and early summer months are widely considered to be the peak season for buying a home in Atlanta. If you buy a home at this time, you can expect a plentiful inventory and more open house opportunities than at other times of the year. Plus, homes tend to have excellent curb appeal this time of year — a home just looks nicer when there is green grass, flowers and plenty of sunlight framing it!
However, this bountiful housing stock and pleasant house-hunting weather comes at a cost — literally. The spring and summer housing market tends to be more competitive, which means you can expect higher asking prices and less closing concessions, especially if it’s already a seller’s market. You have to act fast, and in some cases, you might even find yourself embroiled in a bidding war over your dream home or be forced to offer over the asking price to nab the home you want.
A seller who is looking to maximize the amount of money they get from selling their home will often choose to list in the spring and early summer just for these very reasons. That’s one of the major reasons why there is so much housing stock at this time of year — sellers are trying to make sure they get as much as they can for their property.
Buying a home in fall and winter
Atlanta’s housing market begins to ease up in competition and price point starting in late summer and continuing through fall and winter. If your main concern is getting the best possible deal on a house in Atlanta, you might want to consider house hunting in this off-season.
Sellers trying to sell their home quickly during these months are generally a bit more at the mercy of buyers than they would be during the spring months — even if it’s technically a seller’s market. This means buyers have a bit more leverage when negotiating and cutting deals in their advantage.
The downside of house hunting in the fall and winter months is that there is usually less housing stock to choose from when compared to the spring and summer months. However, while there may be fewer properties to choose from, there are still many gems out there.
Ready to start your house search?
The highly qualified agents at Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty are committed to serving your needs as a first-time homebuyer in Atlanta. Call us today at 404.237.5000 to begin your real estate journey.