Continued record high prices and a short supply of homes
for sale did little to discourage home buyers from entering the
housing market last month as sales remained steady throughout
September, according to data from the Greater Boston Association of
REALTORS (GBAR).
The buyer activity weve seen across the market the past couple
of months has been remarkable, said GBAR President Andrew Sarno.
The pace of sales has been strong and steady since early spring, so
its only reasonable that there be a little softening for the market
to catch its breath, which we saw last month. Even amid record-high
prices and a shrinking inventory, buyer confidence remains strong
with many buyers eager to take advantage of todays low mortgage
rates and ever-increasing home values.
Sales of single-family detached homes slowed on an annual basis
in September as 1,145 units were sold compared to 1,218 units sold
last year, which was a record high for the month. This is a 6
percent drop in sales; however, it is above the historical average
of 1,010 homes sold for the month and is the fifth highest total on
record for September.
The median sales price for single-family detached homes rose to
a new record high price of $508,000 for the month of September.
This is a 3.3 percent increase in median price of $491,700 in
September of 2015
Greater Boston Single-FamilyMarket Overview
| September 2015 | September 2016 | +/- | |
| Closed Sales | 1,218 | 1,145 | -6.0% |
| Median Sales Price | $491,700 | $508,000 | +3.3% |
| Days on Market Until Sale | 57 | 52 | -8.8% |
| New Listings | 1,953 | 1,890 | -3.2% |
The condo market experienced a modest increase in sales volume
as 983 condos were sold last month, a 4.4 percent increase on the
942 condos sold in 2015. This total is comfortably above the
monthly historical sales average of 830 condos and is the second
highest total on record for September.
The median sales price also rose to $507,000 which represents a
19.2 percent increase from the September 2015 median sales price of
$425,450. This also is an all-time high median sales price for the
condo market in Greater Boston.
Greater Boston CondominiumMarket Overview
| September 2015 | September 2016 | +/- | |
| Closed Sales | 942 | 983 | +4.4% |
| Median Sales Price | $425,450 | $507,000 | +19.2% |
| Days on Market Until Sale | 50 | 40 | -20.0% |
| New Listings | 1,440 | 1,473 | +2.3% |
The steady price growth weve experienced over the past year is a
great indicator for the desirability for home ownership and
reflects the increased home values we have here, added Sarno.
Buyers are eager to close deals quickly before additional price
increases and as a result, deals have been closing quicker than
normal.
Indeed, for the first time since April 2016, the average days on
market until sale for both single family and condos dropped last
month. In the single family market, average days on market dropped
8.8 percent to 52 days from 57 in September 2015 and the condo
market saw a 20 percent decrease to 40 days on market, down from 50
days last year.
Lack of inventory can often be a hindrance to overall sales;
however it can also result in new listings that are priced right to
be scooped up by prospective buyers and put under agreement
quickly, said Sarno. This is becoming more common today, as we have
a very educated pool of buyers.
Source: Greater Boston Association of Realtors. Findmore information
here.
About the Greater Boston Association of
Realtors:The Greater Boston Association of REALTORS (GBAR)
represents over 6,500 real estate professionals throughout the
Greater Boston and Eastern Massachusetts area and is one of the
local boards of the National Association of REALTORS the largest
trade association in America. GBAR provides professional
development courses, standard forms, legal reports and updates,
brokerage counseling, legislative and regulatory representation,
ethics, mediation and arbitration services, as well as recognition
awards.