Don't Let the Holidays Sneak Up on Your Move
If you're hoping to be settled into a new home, or hand over the keys, before the season gets busy, now's the time to move. Closings typically take 21-45 days from an accepted offer, so buyers targeting a Thanksgiving move-in should be touring and ready to make offers by early October, while a Christmas timeline can mean acting by mid-November at the latest. Sellers should aim to have their home listed and market-ready within the next few weeks to reach buyers who want to close before year-end. Between financing, inspections, appraisals, and the holiday slowdown at lenders and title companies, it pays to build in a little buffer. A bit of planning now means you can spend the holidays enjoying your new home, not scrambling to get into it.
- When you need to work on your credit. Maybe your credit score is just starting to recover, but you need more time to pay down debts for a couple of years. With rent-to-own, you could start investing in a home while you bring up your score.
- You’re close, but not quite ready to secure a mortgage. You might have a good job with a significantly bigger salary, but you haven’t been there long enough for a lender to consider it a stable source of income. Or maybe you’re self-employed and you’re still building a reliable track record. Rent-to-own allows time to build personal wealth and financial credibility while working toward your homeownership goals.
- When you know you’re going to buy when the lease expires. If you’re not ready to buy when the lease expires, then you will lose any rent credit, i.e. investment, you’ve put into the home.
