Real estate’s season finale may see a plot twist

The real estate market traditionally tapers off in December, but the transition may be more quirky than smooth this year: rules that aim to lower the financial hurdles for buyers who want to purchase a home in the $1-million to $1.5-million range are set to take effect this month.

Industry players say the market is calm overall, but a notable number of sellers hurried to list at the end of November in order to get out ahead of the spring rush, and some buyers are already crunching the numbers in advance of the new measures.