Home buyers looking for the best deal of the year on housing may want to wait until the day after Christmas to close on a home. ATTOM Data Solutions, a real estate data firm, analyzed the best days and months for advantageous pricing at state and metro levels.
Only 10 days of the year offer discounts below estimated market values—seven in December and one each in October, November, and February, according to the study.
ATTOM Data Solutions
“People closing on a home purchase on December 26 were submitting offers around Thanksgiving and starting their home search around Halloween—likely not a common path to home purchase for most buyers, and exactly why it’s the best time to buy,” says Daren Blomquist, senior vice president at ATTOM Data Solutions. “Buyers and investors willing to start their home search right about when stores are setting up Christmas decorations will face less competition and likely be dealing with more motivated sellers, giving them the upper hand in price negotiations.”
Overall, the best month to find a deal on a home at the national level was in December, the study finds.
But that does vary by region. The states with the biggest discounts below full market value were in Ohio (–8.8% in January); Michigan (–7.9% in February); Nebraska (–7.3% in December); Tennessee (–6.8% in December); and Delaware (–6.5% in December).
By metro area, the cities with the biggest discounts below full market value were Dayton (–13.1% in January); Detroit (–12.8% in February); Cleveland (–12% in January); Honolulu (–10.3% in June); and Milwaukee (–9.3% in December).
