Buy Homes in Winter, Sell in Spring: Here’s the Proof
Filed under: Real Estate Market
Today, I’m breaking down the numbers to show you that there are better times to buy or sell a home if you are looking to maximize your investment. In this video, I share the back side of MLS in a system called Infosparks, which is basically like stock market charts for housing data. When I’m looking at the numbers, I really like to look at the median sales price and what it tells us about seasonality.
Looking at the Last 5 Years
Keep in mind that 2020, 2021, and part of 2022 were influenced by the crazy COVID market, and we were still seeing pretty hot activity in real estate (even in December and January). But once the pandemic phase ended, we snapped back to a normalized market. Higher interest rates also played a role in the return of our normal seasonal activity.
In 2022, we peaked out in April and May, and prices slid into January. Median price went from $835k to $710k by January. Then we saw prices increase to $810k again in 2023, hitting that number twice (once in August and once in November). Then the expected holiday drop occurred.
2024 was similar: May was our highest month for home prices, and then we slid back down to our low point in January, going from $860k down to $799k.
We’re seeing a very similar setup for 2025, with a low point in January, a high of $858k in June, and the prices flattening out in August and September. I wouldn’t be surprised if prices start decreasing again at the end of 2025 and into January 2026.
What Do These Numbers Mean?
So, what’s the takeaway? If you’re getting ready to sell a home, the best time to make your move is around April 1st. March can also work, but once you wait until June, July, or August, you might miss out on potential equity. Depending on the year, sometimes August cooperates, but in 2023 and 2024, if you didn’t hit the market before May, you were already on the downside.
For buyers, winter is hands down the best time to get a deal. Year after year, we’ve seen this trend, unless something major shifts the market (like the pandemic).
If you want the strongest odds, buy in the winter and sell in the spring. If you wait until summer to sell, you’re usually too late.
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