This is one of those questions to which there is no precise answer. The start of the Spring Market varies from year to year and is influenced by factors such as the weather, the number of buyers who didn’t find homes in the Fall, when sellers are ready and willing to list, etc.

Why do so many people wait with anticipation for the arrival of the Spring Market? Because it appeals to both buyers and sellers as it’s usually the time when prices are highest (sellers like this) and when there’s the largest selection of homes available (buyers like this).

To answer the question, the Spring Market generally runs from March to May of each year. January is typically a slow month. People are still recovering from the holidays and prepping their homes for market. If there’s a lot of snow, only the heartiest of buyers will be out looking at homes. But if the weather is good and there’s a large number of buyers who weren’t able to find homes in the Fall, watch out! January can be hot! There likely won’t be a lot of homes for sale, but those that ARE listed could sell very quickly and for high prices. It’s simple supply and demand. February is usually similar to January. It’s generally a slow month and there’s only a slightly larger number of homes on the market, but it can also turn into a hot month if the weather cooperates and there’s still demand left over from the Fall.

Things start to pick up in March as people who want to move in the summer begin to put their homes on the market. Buyers who started looking in January or February, but weren’t ready to buy at that time because they hadn’t yet seen enough homes, are now ready to buy. The Spring Market is the result of demand and supply both increasing at the same time. For the past 15 years or so, demand has increased more than supply and prices have risen. It’s common for the market to build every year with each coming month, which is why April is usually hotter than March and May is hotter than April. Some people wait to list their homes or buy a new home until after March break. Others prefer to wait until after Easter weekend or until the flowers start to bloom. If we get an early Spring weather-wise, we often get an early Spring Market. If the nice weather is late to arrive, it might delay the arrival of the Spring Market, too.

Whatever happens, come June, things start to slow down as most sellers have already listed, most buyers have already bought and people’s minds turn to enjoying the Summer weather.

Of course, deciding exactly when to buy or sell is never really simple, so if you have any questions, I’m always happy to hear from you!