Numbers of sales are typically less, but marketing time can still be under 30 days due to fewer homes for sale. That said, this last quarter of 2008 - well ?? We would hope buyers are realizing this is a GREAT opportunity and our sales volume could increase.

Yes, as a general rule there are fewer closings in winter. Many buyers on the addvice of their agents take their homes off the market during these months. It is a great time of year to be a buyer in general. There were an exceptional number of homes that came off the market in the beginning of December and again at New Years. Those homes are starting to come back on the market now. We will see the effect on the market as spring gets closer.

James did a great job with the statistics! While it is a slower time during the winter that does not necessarily equate to a bad time to buy or sell. A good house, well prepared for marketing, will sell no matter what time of year. I have had some good Decembers and Januarys when I had a quality house listed, maybe a little more market time but not significant. On the Buyer's side, if you can tolerate being out in the weather, because the pace is slower you may have less competition and a little more leverage to negotiate price. These two statements may seem contradictory but I have had both experiences.

To finish Ardell's post....I don't like comparing to just 2006 and 2005...both record years for King County. ...any numbers compared to those two will look terrible.

Here's there rest of the century for the same months same county:
2004 had 6414 closings
2003 had 5508 closings
2002 had 4883 closings
2001 had 4192 closings
2000 had 4332 closings

If you look at appreciations per year (compare Q4's median sale price to the same year's Q1):
2007 was -1.3%
2006 was 9.9%
2005 was 11.4%
2004 was 8.8%
2003 was 5.3%
2002 was 3.3%
2001 was 3.6%
2000 was 3.2%

See any correlation between the two sets of data? price in 2007 did correct and you can see it both in the annual appreciation and the number of closings, 3707 compared to an average of 4469 of years 2000 through 2002 isn't nearly the doom and gloom picture as when you compare 3707 closings in 2007 to 2005's 6179 closings. If you call 2000-2002 an average market, ... 2007 was below average but not the end of the world. ...

It's all relative. But to answer the original question, .. yes..they always slow in the winter months. It's dark, it's wet and it's cold. Not the greatest conditions to shop for a house. Listing inventory in the same months also takes a dive. It's not just buyers staying indoors, but sellers aren't too eager to sell in the winter as well (unless they really need to).

Yes, historically, due to weather, holidays, shorter days, and other seasonal factors the real estate market in the Seattle area does slow during the winter. Though it is important you know that it still may be a good time for you to buy or sell! You see, typically those who are in the market during the winter months are more motivated. A good agent will help possition you well during a "slower" market.

November and December of 2005 King County had 6,179 closings
Same months in 2006 had 5,393 closings
Same months 2007 had 3,707 closings

It's not just about it being winter this time.

Typically and statistically, yes, but for some reason I always have a pretty busy winter personally:) Even now, I am pretty excited to see how many buyers are starting to come off of the fence! When the weather gets sunny, there will probably be even more because the rates are so low.

It seems that everyone here is in agreement. Yes, it is usually slower in the winter months. This year in particular is slower than most recent years for a couple of reasons, one is that the lending market has tightened up significantly. The other reason is the media has pushed the negative message for so long. No one has a crystal ball, but you will find that usually at the turn of the year, just after the holidays, buyers start looking again.

If you have time, and are not serious about selling right away, waiting till January can be to your advantage. But if you are needing to move, then wating is not for you as you may lose the perfect buyer and may not have time to wait for the next one. Every situation is different. Good luck in your real estate sale, and keep moving forward.

Yes the market does slow in the winter months. However ATTENTION SELLERS if you're serious about selling - keep your home on the market. Less serious sellers will temporarily take their home off the market to decorate for the holidays, not have to make their bed every morning, etc. But if you want to sell keep it on the market because there are less homes available for buyers to choose. Good luck!

Traditionally for many agents this time of year gets to be slow partly because of sellers that are reluctant to put their home on during the holidays. Many people find they are too busy to want to think about selling a home although it can still be a good time to buy or sell, depending on your circumstances.

I'd have to say the main reason that activity drops off is the segment of the market where families are involved and the choice to move is an open one versus a requirement causes this big fluctuation. Most families with children are reluctant to move mid-year particularly if children are of school age. The properties I see being bought or sold right now are mostly our clients that are single, or couples with no kids (or kids out of home), or kids that are too young for school yet. It's not an absolute, but that is the majority. We also find a lot of investors are active at this time of year because of either timelines to meet for tax purposes, or to meet a certain plan. Also, many investors hope to find better bargains at this time of year when fewer other competing buyers are around.

Personally, I've got 5 closings set up for this month already so we're staying pretty busy here at Team Reba and this final quarter of the calendar year is just as busy as last year was for us. We expect to come into the new year with a pretty strong book of business as well.

Hi Patrick,

Traditionally the market does slow down in the winter months. It's harder for people to get enthusiastic about house hunting through the dark days, rain, and the holidays! However, there are winters now and again where enough compelling factors come together to motivate buyers to brave the weather and forego some holiday shopping long enough to keep buying, and to keep the market moving at a nice, sane pace. So far that is my experience going into this fall season; we have an abundance of homes to choose from on the market (not usually the case for winter buying) nice low interest rates, and consumer confidence is making a come back!

This, combined with the normal winter buyers who are usually investors or home sellers who need to purchase/reinvest by years end, and we might see a more active winter then we have in awhile.

Yes- there are always more homes on the market between March and September. (per MLS stats).

It is common for there to be a slower season in regards to showings of a home. You will usually find that most buyers and sellers this time of year are a lot more serious then the buyers that come along in the summer. Simply put, buyers and sellers are a higher quality and more serious in the late fall/winter months. On top of that, many sellers that are not serious are likely to remove their homes from the market, thus the amount of competition drops. Then to top it off, it is quite common for those same sellers to re-list again in the early part of the next year, thus a boost in inventory picks up usually around the end of February on through the rest of spring.

It depends on where you want to purchase. There are always "oasis" neighborhoods in which homes will sell faster. It also depends on if you are purchasing for investment or as a residence. There is more inventory on the market now than in the past several years.

I have been in the business nearly 2 decades and have seen winters that are as busy as other times of the year and winters that are very slow. My prediction for this winter is a slowdown overall unless interest rates become so favorable that buyers take advantage of that and the incredible selection in spite of the season.

Yes. But it may not pull out strong in 2008. I expect it to stay slow next year for the most part.