As the bells of the New Year ring in, the excitement of "out with old and in with the new" may be upon you. Therefore, the question of purchasing real estate may have floated across your thoughts. I'm certain that you have heard that purchasing real estate is something that should wait until the spring, but that is not always accurate, there are many benefits to buying real estate during the winter months.

A few tips that could help you are as follows:

Less Competition
Home buyers that seek out real estate deals during the winter months face less competition, since many home buyers are waiting for the spring months to make their real estate investments.

Lower Mortgage Rates
Mortgage rates tend to rise as the year progresses, lock in the best rates early.

Be Prepared
Clean up your credit cards, organize your financial information and get your mortgage pre-approved early.

Will you be affected by the 2017 tax bill?
Find out how the new 2017 tax bill will affect you in your endeavor of purchasing a new home. The 2017 tax bill that has been signed into law changes several financial considerations when buying a home, and the conforming loan limit has also been increased, according to Chicago Redfin agent Daniel Close.

If you have made it your New Year's resolution to purchase a new home in 2018, get an early start. January and February are the coldest months of the year and typically the slowest months for real estate sales. Make that knowledge work for you, and cash in on great deals that are out there.