In my market(Southern California) the calendar may not have as much influence as other parts of the country.  My belief is that real buyers buy and real sellers sell...and they are doing it year-round.  

As far as tax purposes, that is something best addressed with a client's tax professional.  

It really depends on where in CA and what kind of market it is...but in general, October is a busy month in San Diego. I can't give tax advice.

I always laugh at the "should we wait?" question clients ask, because we don't have a crystal ball. What I can share with clients is I know what rates are doing now. The rates more than home prices are the decider because you live in the payment not the price.

October is a busy month in Florida. I am not sure what you mean by old rule of thumb. I have never heard of this fact.

I'm in Canada just across the border from New York.  Sept & Oct are always busy months!

people buy all year.... there is nothing special about October except the coming holidays....and people buy during the holidays....homes are staged to reflect Christmas.... the market is good and we need to take advantage of every day....

This is a regional phenomenon. In Florida, we are frantically building inventory, same in California

October is a good one here

Historically we get busy during October and November

'Tis the season for half-backs here - those who moved from the north to FL and are tired of hurricanes and hot weather!  The problem this year is finding homes for them - our inventory is incredibly low here.  

I'm in the Midwest & it's the sellers last effort before winter hits when buyers do not want to look for homes. You would think with the interest rates the way they are, a slowdown would not occur but it will.  It always does. 

But ... I will say that many years October has been a top selling month for me.

When I do my monthly reports you can see it play out this way each year. I'm sure other markets are totally different.

Here in NH, the fall market can be as busy as the spring market. There are less homes for sale, but sellers who do list are looking for that quick sale before winter arives. Buyers looking to buy are ready, willing and able to work fast, make a good offer and strive to close before the Holidays and before winter. 

There may be "seasonal specials" in October, e.g. if owners got the use of the property over the summer and don't want to hold it over the winter, they might be more eager to sell. Then there is the perception that homes don't sell in the winter, especially in colder climates and sellers wait for the proverbial "spring market".

October is a busy month in Texas. It's the height of the fall market. Anyone expecting to close by the holidays is out looking. I'm with Michael Jacobs "My belief is that real buyers buy and real sellers sell...and they are doing it year-round. " 

Blog about the results of your survey.

What the market is like in October depends on your locale. I would never generalize about any market.

For those who keep up the lead gen habit things never slow down.

Elizabeth R. Elstien - common belief is - market is slow so stop.

It does not happen that way, though.

In Central Oregon, we experience strong sales through October. After school starts, we see retirees, second home buyers, and job transfers as our major buyers. During this time, owners of inventory which didn't sell during the summer are sometimes more motivated to price adjustments to sell; this can be a great time to pick up deals.

Our sales pick up again right after Labor Day and go strong thru around November 15th.

I think that October will be a seller's market here.

real estate is local.  I see no slowdown this time of year.  In fact we tend to see northerners moving to my market this time of year.

I typically don't see things slow down until close to Christmas. 

"The Season" starts in most of Florida, with snowbirds coming in from the North and from Canada.

October is busy in my area.

Just a mild slow down but not so much in October, and no "unloading" of inventory. DOM "generally' increases only slightly late fall through winter.  People need to buy and sell no matter the season.

Every market will be different.

Thinks slow down in November because of the holidays

Nothing slows down here. Timing of returning to schools catch the time has virtually no impact on buying and selling.  

Silicon Valley, No CA

It may more on the market and probably varies quite a bit around the country - not sure October is such a crucial month necessarily, other than perhaps wanting to buy and move before the hol.iday seasons. Buying for tax purposes should be discussed with their accountant, not their agent.

It is not an issue in my area of San Jose and the Silicon Valley, California.  The market may see some temporary slows yet people are buying and selling all year round ... even during December. 

October can be a good month in real estate where buyers and sellers are trying to get moved before the holidays. I see the slowdown in November and December for listings.

There are tides & cycles in Real Estate and things like interest rates and high rents that lead to exceptions...One thing though, Real Estate is always being bought or sold or rented for that matter....Its just a question of how much

It is always busy here in Phoenix. We now have the Snow Birds in town.

People buy and sell homes every day of the year.  Your job should be to find those that are going to do it today.

Michael Jacobs nailed this one!

There are many people who like to move before winter.