As December wears on, the collective focus of the metroplex seems to turn. “Open House” signs are replaced by inflated Santas, and the frantic pace of the real estate market seems to take a long winter’s nap. Trying to sell a DFW house before 2026 isn’t on most people’s radar.
Yet, for home sellers, the advice from friends and family, even many real estate agents, is usually always the same: “Just wait until spring. Nobody buys houses during the holidays. You’ll get a better price when the flowers start blooming.”
The logic here appears, at face value, to be solid. Spring is traditionally the most active season within real estate. But for a particular type of seller and a particular kind of property, waiting until March 2026 is more than a delay; it is a financial mistake that could cost thousands.
If you are holding a vacant property, an inherited home, or a rental no longer performing, the “wait for spring” strategy is often a trap. Here is a detailed look at why selling your DFW home before December 31st is the smartest financial move you can make this year.
1. The Supply and Demand Paradox
The most common argument for waiting until spring is because there are “more buyers.” This is statistically true. However, what most folks fail to say is there are also exponentially more sellers.
By March and April, the North Texas Multiple Listing Service will be deluged with inventory. Homeowners who have used the winter to paint, renovate and stage will dump thousands of listings onto the market all at once.
If you’re selling a pristine, HGTV-ready home, you may survive that competition. However, if your property is older, in need of repair, or just plain outdated, you’ll be on equal footing with the most turnkey of homes for the attention of everyday retail buyers. In an oversaturated market, that “fixer-upper” gets overlooked or lowballed.
The December advantage means inventory is at its yearly low. The competition has largely left the field. By listing or selling now, you are one of the few available options. You are the big fish in the small pond.
2. Who is Buying in December? (The “Serious” Buyer)
One of the most common myths is that the only people looking for homes in December are bargain hunters. Actually, December buyers are generally the most motivated and serious participants in the market.
We usually find three types of buyers active at this moment:
- Job Relocations: January is the single biggest month for corporate starts and transfers. Professionals moving to Plano, Frisco, or Dallas for a job need a place to live by New Year. They can’t wait until spring.
- Tax-Motivated Investors: Many real estate investors need to perform “1031 Exchanges” or deploy capital prior to the end of the tax year to maximize their deductions. They are under a strict deadline to close before December 31st.
- The “Life Event” Buyer: Divorce, marriage, or a new baby doesn’t check the calendar. These buyers need a solution now.
Also, when you sell in the spring, you get a lot of “window shoppers.” When you sell in December, you get people who have a deadline.
3. The “Phantom Costs” of Waiting
Basically, the largest enemy of every property seller is Holding Costs. These are the silent expenses that drain your bank account every single day you own a property.
Let’s do the math. If you wait four months (December through March) to list, you aren’t “pausing” anything. You are still paying.
So what does it cost to hold a typical empty house in the DFW area, worth around $350k? Here is what holding that property for an extra 4 months actually looks like:
- Property Taxes: Texas has some of the highest property taxes in the nation. A $350k house will be paying you roughly $600 to $800 a month in taxes alone. Over 4 months, that’s $2,400+ down the drain.
- Utilities: Even an empty house needs heat to keep from freezing, electric for security lights, and water on to keep pipes from bursting. Add it up, that’s $200/month.
- Insurance: Did you know that your regular homeowners’ policy probably won’t cover your house if it is unoccupied for more than 30 days? Not only that, but if you have to go vacant, you’ll need a “vacant dwelling policy” which is nearly always 1.5x-2x the normal rate.
- Maintenance: Lawns still require cleanup during winter. Leaves left on their own can clog the gutters.
The Total Bill: By waiting until spring, you will easily spend $4,000 to $6,000 in hard cash on a house you aren’t living in. The amount of money you have to sell the house for in the spring in order to make “waiting” worth it is at least $6,000 more, just to break even, and that’s not guaranteeing the market will even be up by then.
4. The Texas Winter Factor: Risk Management
We remember the freezes of years past. North Texas winters can be volatile. One week it’s 70 and sunny and the next it’s 15 and ice.
Holding onto a vacant house during a Texas winter is a huge liability.
- Burst Pipes: If power goes out or a furnace dies on an unoccupied property, pipes freeze and burst within hours. Left unchecked, the water can run for days, flooding floors, walls, and even foundations without anyone ever knowing before it’s too late.
- Squatters/Vandalism: Vacant houses attract trouble. In the shorter, darker days of winter, it’s even more common. A house with no lights on and no occupants for a while becomes a target.
Selling now shifts that risk to the buyer. Why lose sleep wondering if the pipes in your rental property are holding up?
5. Tax Implications: Closing the Book on 2025
Note: We are real estate professionals, not CPAs. Always consult with your tax professional.
For many of us, the end of the year is an important time for tax planning.
- Capital Losses: If you have sold other assets at a profit this year (such as stocks or other real estate), selling an investment property that has lost value or has high repair costs might generate a loss to offset your gains, thus lowering your overall tax bill.
- Clean Slate: There is a psychological benefit to starting a new tax year fresh. Letting the sale finalize in 2025 makes all your paperwork easier for 2026. You won’t have to track expenses, prorate taxes for a partial year, or drag old business into the new year.
6. Speed: The Direct Buyer Advantage
If today is mid-December and you decide that you want to sell, then listing with a traditional real estate agent may not actually get you sold in 2025.
The Traditional Timeline:
- 1 week to prepare and photograph.
- 1–2 weeks on market, if you’re lucky, could be months.
- 30–45 days for the buyer’s mortgage underwriting and closing.
Traditional Sale: Even if you list today, you are likely not going to see your money until February.
The Direct Buyer Timeline: This is where selling to a professional home buying company, like ours, changes the equation. Because we buy with cash and do not rely on bank approvals or inspections:
- We can make an offer within 24 hours.
- We can close as quickly as 7 days.
This means that you can call us on December 12th and have the check in your hand before Christmas.
A New Year, A New Start
New Year’s resolutions are all about positive momentum: lose weight, save money, travel more. They’re not about being tethered to some property that stresses you out.
A calendar date should not determine financial well-being. If you have a house to sell, the “Spring Market” is a gamble, whereas the costs of holding the property today are a guarantee.
Ready to close the chapter on this property? We buy homes in DFW right now with no contingencies. No repairs, no cleaning, no showings, and no waiting until spring.
Contact us today for a fair all-cash offer, and start 2026 with cash in the bank, not a burden on your back.