Conventional wisdom states that spring is the best time to put your house on the market, and winter is worst, but that's not always true. Home sales almost always hit their peak in April and May, and continue at high levels throughout June and July. That's largely because families with children who are moving into a new community prefer to do so before the new school year begins and because the tax season is ending and some people will have refund checks to use for a down payment.

Therefore, it's often best to put your home on the market in March, when the snow is melting. This gives you a period of several months when many people will be looking, and it gives the buyer time to move in before the new school year.

Late August and early September is another strong selling period, because people want to complete a move before cold weather begins. If you can't put your house on the market by then, it might be best to spend the winter improving your house, and then put it on the market in springtime. However, it's not always a mistake to put your house on the market in winter. People who are looking for a new home during that time of year will usually be ready to commit.

In markets where the weather is nice year-round, seasonality won't be as much of a factor. Investigate the local economy. For instance, is your town dominated by a particular business that hires new people at certain times of the year? Is a new business coming into town? Are interest rates likely to rise? How's the local market? Home prices run in cycles. Check the economic indicators to determine whether prices are likely to rise or fall in the next couple of years.

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