Homebuyers Who Wait Until This Month Could Save Thousands Of Dollars

There are multiple factors that go into the pricing of a house — from something as basic as its kitchen paint colors to more standard metrics like where it's located. Stripping away those outer factors, a significant element behind home prices is buyer demand. Houses, like any other product, follow the law of supply and demand. The same way airline tickets get more expensive around holidays like Thanksgiving, Christmas, and spring break, before cooling off during post-holiday lulls, houses also generally have seasons when demand might be higher than other times.

According to a 2025 LendingTree analysis of home sales data from 2015 through 2024, January is the cheapest month to buy a home in the United States. Buyers who closed in January paid a median of $178.60 per square foot, compared to $194.20 in May — the priciest month of the year. For a 1,500-square-foot home, that gap can mean upwards of $23,000 in savings. That can be enough to cover several months of mortgage payments, a partial kitchen remodel, or even a down payment on a new car.

LendingTree found that January had the lowest share of home sales from 2015 through 2024, at just 6.3%. Meanwhile, the priciest month, May, had the highest share at 9.9%. This is largely influenced by better weather, and, for those with children, the desire to be settled before the school year begins in September. That means spring and summer are typically peak homebuying seasons with increased competition. In fact, ATTOM found that May sellers from 2011 through 2023 earned an average premium of 13.1% above market value — the highest of any month.

On the flip side, when the holidays are over, the weather is worse in much of the country, days are shorter, and families with school-age children are usually not eager to move in the middle of the academic year. Per the National Association of Realtors, housing activity typically slows from November through January as buyers and sellers pause plans until spring. LendingTree's data supports this, as newly listed homes stayed on the market for a median of 75 days in January, compared with 48 days from April to June. Those who post house listings in January may therefore be dealing with a smaller buyer pool and longer selling timelines, which can make them more open to negotiations on price. This means that once you're financially ready to buy a house, January could be the perfect time to strike.