Buyers Facing Fewer Bidding Wars

Buyers Facing Fewer Bidding Wars

Buyers Facing Fewer Bidding Wars.  Image courtesy of  Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Buyers Facing Fewer Bidding Wars. Image courtesy of Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

With bidding wars easing in many markets, buyers may face less competition in their attempts to snag a home this winter. That’s according to the latest Bidding War Report by the real estate brokerage Redfin.

According to the report, competition for homes hit its lowest point since 2011 last month. About 51 percent of Redfin agents nationwide reported facing bidding wars in November, down from 63.6 percent a year earlier. The home-buying competition rate has dropped for eight straight months, after peaking in March at 75.3 percent.

Still, the brokerage’s report does show demand growing stronger than expected at the end of the year. “Home buyers who failed to get an offer accepted early in the year have been stockpiling down payment money all year long,” says Amber Hancock, manager of Redfin’s San Francisco East Bay market. “They’re jumping back in this time as better qualified, more confident competitors, taking advantage of the easing late-fall market.”

Buyers are still using competitive strategies to get the house they want—with the use of all-cash offers, waived financing and inspection contingencies, and personal cover letters becoming more common in November, Redfin reports.

The two markets that saw the largest month-over-month decreases in competition were Seattle and Orange County, Calif. Meanwhile, bidding wars heated up in November in Washington, D.C., San Diego, Baltimore, and Los Angeles.

Source: Redfin