Season of Thanks, Season of Opportunity: Why the Holidays Are a Smart Time to Invest

We believe wealth isn’t owned, it’s passed on.
At RFP Homes, our mission is to help you build something that outlasts you.

When the Market Slows, Opportunity Speeds Up

Every year around Thanksgiving, the real estate market hits a predictable lull. Buyers take a break, sellers get distracted, and deals seem to disappear under the noise of holiday plans. 

In the Dallas–Fort Worth real estate market, the months of November and December can quietly offer some of the best buying conditions of the entire year. While others are focused on holiday travel and shopping lists, disciplined investors are finding off-market deals, negotiating stronger terms, and setting up tax-efficient purchases before year-end.

The truth is, this is the season when smart investors separate themselves from the crowd. It’s not about chasing deals, it’s about understanding that timing and strategy can turn a slow market into a wealth-building window.

So, while everyone else is taking time off, here’s why you should be taking action.

Less Competition Means More Negotiation Power

The holiday season often brings a noticeable dip in buyer activity — which means that there are  fewer active buyers in the DFW market compared to the spring and summer months. And while that slowdown might sound discouraging on the surface, it’s exactly what gives investors an advantage.

This especially applies for off-market deals, where relationships and timing already matter more than price, making the end of the year prime time. Wholesalers, agents, and investors often look to clear their pipelines and free up capital for January, meaning deals that might normally get held back are suddenly on the table for the right buyer.

At RFP Homes, our advisors monitor these seasonal patterns in real time, giving our investors early access to pre-vetted off-market inventory before it reaches the open market.

The Year-End Tax Advantages for Investors Think About

Buying an investment property before the calendar resets doesn’t just help you grow your portfolio, it can also help you reduce your taxable income and improve your overall returns.

Here’s how:

• Immediate deductions: You can write off closing costs, points, and other expenses in the same tax year.
  
  
• Accelerated depreciation: Even owning a property for a few weeks before year-end allows you to start claiming depreciation earlier.
  
  
• 1031 exchange opportunities: For those selling and reinvesting in 2025, executing before December 31 allows you to defer capital gains and reset your cost basis for the next cycle.

What most novice investors overlook is the clarity that the end of the year provides. You will have a very good idea of what your financial situation looks like for the year, and can make a much more educated decision on what steps you need to take to obtain the most tax strategic investment.

In simple terms, buying before year-end is a financial double win, you grow your asset base while reducing what you owe in taxes. 

Many investors don’t realize how much these timing advantages can impact their bottom line. For example, purchasing even a modest $150,000 rental in mid-December could generate several thousand dollars in first-year write-offs, depending on your loan structure and expenses.

Motivated Sellers Are Ready to Deal

The holidays can also bring out one of the most powerful forces in real estate: urgency.

Some sellers simply need to sell quickly before the end of the year. Maybe they’re facing foreclosure, dealing with the loss of a loved one, or needing to relocate fast for a new job opportunity. These aren’t always easy situations, but they’re real, and they often create opportunities for investors to step in and provide a solution.

Because RFP Homes specializes in off-market acquisitions, we see these listings first, often days or weeks before they’re made public. Our local network of investment analysts and investor advisors allows our investor clients to step into high-equity opportunities while competition is low.

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This is where the right team makes all the difference. At RFP Homes, our advisors handle every part of the process, from sourcing and evaluation to contract coordination and closing, so you can focus on making smart, confident moves while others wait for “the perfect time to invest”.

Lock in Financing Before Market Shifts

Mortgage rates and lending terms fluctuate throughout the year, and December often brings a brief period of favorable lending conditions as lenders compete to hit annual volume goals.

That makes this a great time to:

• Refinance existing properties to free up capital for next year
  
  
• Secure DSCR or hard money loans at end-of-year promo rates
  
  
• Line up approvals so you’re ready to buy fast when the next deal drops
  
  

And for investors planning to scale, locking in financing before the new year also provides a clean slate for future borrowing, with new cash flow and leverage ratios working in your favor by Q1.

While many see December as “dead time,” experienced investors see it as a financial reset window; one that can position their entire 2026 strategy months ahead of the competition.

Reflection, Gratitude, and Generational Vision

Thanksgiving and the holidays aren’t just about deals, they’re about perspective.

This is the time of year when we naturally reflect on what we’ve built, who we’ve built it for, and what we want the next year to represent. In real estate, those same questions matter:

• What kind of portfolio am I creating?
  
  
• Who benefits from the assets I’m building?
  
  
• Am I working for short-term wins or long term wealth?
  
  

At RFP Homes, we believe every investment should serve a larger purpose. Yes, it should cash flow. Yes, it should appreciate. But ultimately, it should create security, stability, and opportunity for the people who matter most.

As you sit around the table this Thanksgiving, think about what it would mean to pass something that lasts to your family - not just wealth, but wisdom, systems, and a mindset of ownership. That’s what generational wealth really is: not just passing down property, but passing down possibility.

Invest When Others Rest

This time of year, everyone talks about gratitude — and rightfully so. But gratitude doesn’t mean slowing down. It means recognizing what you’ve been given and using it to build something greater.

So while others are winding down for the holidays, consider taking the opposite approach. Use this season of thanks as a season of opportunity. Secure that off-market deal. Build your next source of passive income. Lock in your financing. Strengthen your foundation for the future.

Because when the new year arrives, those who took action in December will already be steps ahead.

At RFP Homes, we’re here to help you find and execute those opportunities, from pre-vetted DFW investments to personalized strategy sessions with our investor advisors. Whether your goal is financial freedom or family legacy, we’ll help you start building it today.

👉 Ready to find your next investment opportunity before the new year? Get Started with RFP Homes →

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