(Newswire.net — December 9, 2013) Baltimore, Maryland — With the holiday season in full swing, shopping for a home in the middle of all that mayhem may seem less than ideal. It’s a time when many home sellers take their homes off the market to spend time with their families without interruption from real estate agents trying to show their homes. However, just as there are fewer homes for sale, there are fewer buyers too. Less activity means less competition and this gives buyers the opportunity of negotiating some great deals.
People who list their homes in the winter months usually are a little more serious about selling said John Sullivan, Vice President and Associate Broker with Buyer’s Edge, an Exclusive Buyer Brokerage firm serving the Metropolitan Washington and Baltimore areas. “What I have found in my twenty years as an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent is that the homes on the market during the holiday season are likely to be owned by motivated sellers,” he said. “I have seen offers accepted far below what sellers were willing to accept before Thanksgiving or after Super Bowl Sunday. Actually, I think the week between Christmas and New Year’s is the absolute best time to buy. Some sellers even get into the holiday spirit by offering generous concessions.”
If home buyers need an additional incentive this particular holiday season it’s that mortgage rates are expected to rise by a full percentage point to 5% in 2014 if the Federal Reserve decides to slow its bond buying program — one of the reasons for the continued low mortgage rates. “That, along with a continuing increase in home prices, will definitely restrict the buying capability of many home buyers,” said Sullivan.
For someone considering buying a home in the near future, Sullivan advises moving up the time frame. “The winter months, and in particular the holiday season, offer a wonderland of opportunity,” he said, “Not only are the deals sweeter but the interest rates are still relatively low.” He recommends retaining an Exclusive Buyer Broker — an agent who will represent only the buyer, not the seller of the property. “Because we do not list homes for sale, there is no conflict of interest,” said Sullivan. “All our efforts are directed to finding the best houses, at the lowest price, on the best terms for the buyer.”
For a Buyer’s Edge buyer broker in the Baltimore area, contact John Sullivan, Buyer’s Edge, 1033 South Charles Street in Baltimore. Phone: 410.234.8920. For information on Buyer’s Edge buyer brokers serving the Washington DC Metro area, contact Buyer’s Edge located at 4849 Rugby Avenue, Bethesda MD. Phone: 800-207-6810, Fax: 301-657-4494, e-mail: broker@buyersagent.com or visit www.buyersagent.com.
About Buyer’s Edge
Buyer’s Edge is metropolitan Washington DC’s only buyer broker real estate company, offering exclusive representation for Home Buyers in Maryland, Northern Virginia and the District of Columbia since 1992.