Not Home for the Holidays: December is good time to shop golf communities

: Nov 16, 2013

Going through the Hartford Courant yesterday, I was stunned by how many local restaurants in my area of Connecticut are advertising Thanksgiving day brunches and dinners. Call me sentimentally narrow-minded, but I thought most folks spent turkey day at home, cooking and sharing the bounties of the season with family and friends.

Now that my quaint notion is dispelled, I feel less like a heathen for suggesting that the holiday season may be a great time to search for a golf home. Do many people list their homes for sale during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s? No, relatively speaking, the pickings can be rather slim for obvious reasons: The weather is lousy in many places,

Most people who list their homes during the holidays are serious about selling. And that could mean a bargain for the buyer.

and who wants strangers tromping mud into their houses; many families actually do entertain during the holidays, even if they take their guests to the local bistro on Thanksgiving, and it would be awkward to give those guests the bum’s rush for an hour while potential buyers tour the house; and, frankly, many people just want their homes to themselves during the season. I suspect there is also a “Why Bother?” attitude among sellers who believe no one is looking for a home during the holidays.

This all means that those who list their homes during the time between Thanksgiving and New Year’s are ultra-serious about selling –- heck, they may have to sell it, for one reason or another -– and their listing price is bound to be sharp and their attitudes toward negotiation likely progressive.

That last reality reminds me that my wife and I bought a house in Connecticut in 1986 just before Christmas, from a couple who accepted an offer from us that was a few percentage points lower than their reasonable asking price. You never know a seller’s motivation, but a home open for viewing during the holidays is a sign that the sellers are serious.

Golf communities in the southern U.S. have plenty of homes and lots for sale currently, and most of those will remain on the market through the holiday period. If you are considering a relocation south, and your December calendar is free of obligations on the home front, consider a prospecting trip. As a first step, I invite you to fill out my online questionnaire -– click here –- and I will provide you with some quick, initial thoughts about which golf communities match up the best.

For a selection of properties currently for sale in some of our favorite golf communities in the South, visit our companion site, GolfHomesListed, by clicking here. Happy Holidays.