Most home buyers would do that Love to know if there is a secret day on the calendar when you can get the best deal on a house.
It’s understandable, since it’s such a big purchase and many people line up at dawn for Black Friday, setting price alerts all year long on everything from airline tickets to air fryers.
So if there were a magical 24-hour period where houses suddenly went up for sale… you’d probably be tempted to buy a house on that day if possible, right?
Well, according to a recent report from ATTOMthat day exists! Well, sort of. While it is backed by data, it is not as short-sighted as they make it sound.
So, which day is (presumably) the best day to buy?
ATTOM analyzed millions of home sales and identified the days of the year when buyers historically paid the lowest premium over the Automated Valuation Model (AVM). Their data shows that December 24 — Christmas Eve – is the single “best” day of the year to buy a house, purely based on price.
But let’s pause for a moment. Read that again. They said this is the lowest premium above the AVM.
‘Best’ in this case does not mean ‘below market value’. It simply means ‘least above market value’.
Which brings us to the next point…
Why ‘lowest above AVM’ doesn’t mean it’s a bargain
The ATTOM report compares sales prices with AVMs: automated valuation models. These are algorithm-driven estimates that spit out values based on nearby comparisons, historical trends and other data points to spit out a ‘margin’ figure.
Helpful? Absolute. Perfect? Not even close. AVMs can sometimes be inaccurate, especially for unique homes, small markets, or rapidly changing neighborhoods.
So just because a sale is below, close to, or slightly above an AVM doesn’t mean it’s a ‘deal’ – it’s just a sale above an AVM. estimated market value, not a guaranteed bargain.
That said, comparing sales to AVMs is a consistent way to analyze price trends throughout the year. ATTOM’s approach emphasizes that December 24, compared to other days, usually shows slightly lower premiums. It is an interesting signal: a way to signal when prices are relatively lower.
But this isn’t proof that buyers are walking away with the deal of the year. It’s just a hint that that day is somehow in line with slightly better relative prices, based on a consistent benchmark.
Those figures are based on closing dates… Not Negotiation Dates
Those Christmas Eve closings didn’t magically happen on the same day the deals were negotiated.
In reality, it takes weeks to get to the actual closing table – often a month or more. So it’s not like a bunch of buyers stormed the market in their holiday pajamas and performed last-minute miracles on December 24th.
Most of these buyers will likely:
- went house hunting in the fall,
- negotiated offers in October or November, and
- coincidentally, they had scheduled their closings for Christmas Eve.
So December 24 is not the ‘best day to make a deal’. It’s just the day those deals happened to expire.
That said, there is there is something interesting hidden in the trend…
So what does the trend actually suggest? Motivated salespeople.
If a seller is okay with packing up their entire house and closing a deal on a day when most people are baking cookies, traveling, or ignoring their email, there’s probably a reason for that.
- Maybe they want to complete the sale before the new year.
- Maybe they’re moving and need to act quickly.
- Maybe they are in financial pain.
Whatever their reason, they are motivated.
And that’s what matters. Deals are more likely to happen if at least one party is motivated – not because of the calendar, but because of the circumstances that make that date work.
So even though all of these deals closed months earlier on completely different days, anyone who chose to close on that day must have had some serious motivation that led to that decision.
So how Doing Are you actually getting a good deal?
If there’s a “secret,” it’s this: deals don’t happen overnight. They happen because buyers are ready when the right seller shows up.
The best opportunities come when you:
- already on the market
- pay attention
- prepared to act quickly
- willing to step into timelines that other buyers avoid
There is no perfect time to get started, but a common pitfall is waiting for the ‘best’ time – after the new year, after spring, after interest rates have fallen, after the market has ‘got better’.
Meanwhile, motivated sellers appear throughout the year, and buyers who are already active are the ones who actually get the deals.
Could you ever get a house that closes on Christmas Eve? Sure, if everything lines up perfectly (planets, stars, your lender, your lawyer… and a little luck).
Great deals are not tied to a calendar. They are tied to being ready. Deals take place all year round. Some even close below AVM estimates.
The key is simply being in the market with an expert broker, understanding the numbers, and positioning yourself to recognize value when you see it.
The takeaway:
There is no magic day to guarantee the lowest price for a house. While ATTOM data shows that premiums are slightly lower than AVMs as of December 24, that doesn’t mean buyers are walking away with the deal of the year.
Deals happen when sellers are motivated and buyers are ready. Timing the calendar is much less important than knowing the market, being active and capitalizing on opportunities when they arise – whether it’s Christmas Eve, mid-February or any other day of the year.
If you’re considering making a purchase soon, don’t wait for the “perfect” day. Start understanding the market now and position yourself to recognize value when it arises. That’s the real way to get a good deal.
#day #year #score #deal #house