The Season Is Right
To Make an Offer

Question: My wife and I are considering making an offer for a house in a week or so. Are there any studies/statistics on the correlation between selling price and seasonal factors (i.e., winter vs. spring)?

Answer: I don't know of any specific studies done on this particular aspect of real estate. However, I can tell you from my own experience (as well as that of many other agents and investors), that now is the very best time of the year to make an offer on property.

The months of December and January are traditionally the slowest in real estate sales. Buyers are inside because of the inclement weather. Also, they were busy because of the recent holidays and now are occupied wondering how they are going to pay for all those gifts they gave!

Sellers know all this (at least the savvy ones do), and hence, wait until the spring to put their properties on the market. As a result, the bad news here is that the inventory of homes tends to be low at this time of year meaning you won't have as big a selection as in spring. The good news is that those homes that are for sale usually have highly motivated sellers. In other words, they are willing to consider to almost any kind of offer.

If you're looking to low-ball a seller and get a "steal," you won't find a better time to do it (seasonally speaking), than right now.

Mr. Irwin has more than 25 years' experience as a Los Angeles-area real-estate broker. He is the author of more than two dozen books about real estate and is recognized as one of the most knowledgeable writers in the real-estate field. Mr. Irwin's most recent book is "Tips & Traps When Buying a Condo, Co-op or Townhouse," (McGraw-Hill, 1999).

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Jim, College Park, Md.

Email your comments to rjeditor@dowjones.com.