It’s that time of year when it gets colder and Albertans take out their skis, snowboards and skates for winter activities. Once people feel the chill, the real estate market often cools too.

We are already seeing the market slow down this season, still sellers are putting their homes for sale at increasingly more and more attractive prices, hoping for something to happen.

Buying in the winter has its advantages:

• Great selection, better prices.
• Lower prices, especially for properties which have been up for sale longer
• The opportunity to inspect homes for drafts and insulation problems
• Finding a home closer to outdoor/indoor recreational activities to stay healthy in the winter
• Closer to public transit centres to cut out the winter drive
• Less competition from other buyers who have decided to put it off until the spring.

Here are three things every homebuyer should consider:

1. Buying a home is often our biggest investment and as with any investment we want to see appreciation. By purchasing in the slower fall/winter market buyers can take advantage flexible sellers willing to accept lower purchase prices.
2. The winter market is slower, and as a result buyers can slow down the process and rethink all the aspects of their purchase from financing, inspection, closing dates, and terms to ensure that every part of their purchase is exactly what they want without compromise.
3. We currently have some of the lowest interest rates available for mortgages seen in some 50 years. Buyers should understand the implication of such aggressive lending rates and how it will enable them to qualify for a bigger house in a better area.