Boston Condos for Sale and Rent
NAR reports it’s a great time to sell your Boston condo
August pending-home sales rose 8.1% on a monthly basis after two months of declines, the National Association of Realtors reported, citing its Pending Home Sales Index.
Year over year, however, contract signings were down 8.3%.
“Rising inventory and moderating price conditions are bringing buyers back to the market,” NAR chief economist Lawrence Yun said in a press release. “Affordability, however, remains challenging as home price gains are roughly three times wage growth.”
All four geographic regions saw increases, led by the Midwest, which clocked a 10.4% rise from July, and the South, where sales rose 8.6%. Pending transactions rose 7.2% in the West and 4.6% in the North.
“The more moderately priced regions of the South and Midwest are experiencing stronger signing of contracts to buy, which is not surprising,” Yun said. “This can be attributed to some employees who have the flexibility to work from anywhere, as they choose to reside in more affordable places.”
First American Deputy Chief Economist Odeta Kushi said housing demand is on the rise, thanks to increased inventory, near-historic low mortgage rates and favorable demographics.
“This is a strong purchase market, and the uptick in inventory is bringing back some buyers who pulled back during peak frenzy,” she said.
Boston Condos for Sale and Rent
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Boston Real Estate for Sale
Loading...
Updated Sept 2020
July rounded out three consecutive months of growth in pending home sales, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors.
Pending Home Sales
NAR’s Pending Home Sales Index was up 5.9% to 122.1 last month, while contract signings year-over-year increased 15.5%.
The Pending Home Sales Index was up 25.2% to 112.3 in the Northeast, a 20.6% increase from a year ago.
Home Starts
Similarly, housing starts are expected to pick up in 2021 to 1.43 million — that’s up from the average of 1.35 million in 2020, according to Yun.
NAR reports it’s a great time to sell your Boston condo
We all realize that the best time to sell anything is when the demand for that item is high and the supply of that item is limited. The last two major reports issued by the National Association of Realtors (NAR) revealed information that suggests that right now continues to be a great time to sell your Boston condo.
Original Boston Real Estate Blog Post
Let’s look at the data covered in the latest Pending Home Sales Report and Existing Home Sales Report.
THE PENDING HOME SALES REPORT
The report announced that pending home sales (homes going into contract) are down 2.3% from last year and have continued to fall on an annual basis for seven straight months.
Lawrence Yun, NAR’s Chief Economist, had this to say:
“The reason sales are falling off last year’s pace is that multiple years of inadequate supply in markets with strong job growth have finally driven up home prices to a point where an increasing number of prospective buyers are unable to afford it.”
Takeaway: Demand for Boston housing is strong and will continue to grow in 2019. Even with an influx of new Boston high-rise condos for sale, pending home sales will continue to increase. Listing now means you will be able to take advantage of the demand currently in the market.
THE EXISTING HOME SALES REPORT
The most important data point revealed in the report was not sales-based, but was instead the inventory of homes for sale (supply). The report explained:
- Total housing inventory decreased 0.7% to 5.34 million homes available for sale in July
- This represents a 4.3-month supply at the current sales pace
- Sales are now 1.5% below a year ago
There were two more interesting comments made by Yun in the report:
“Led by a notable decrease in closings in the Northeast, existing home sales trailed off again last month, sliding to their slowest pace since February 2016 at 5.21 million.”
In real estate, there is a guideline that often applies: When there is less than a 6-month supply of inventory available, we are in a seller’s market and we will see appreciation; between 6-7 months is a neutral market, where prices will increase at the rate of inflation; and more than a 7-month supply means we are in a buyer’s market and should expect depreciation in home values. As Yun notes, we are (and will remain) in a seller’s market and prices will continue to increase unless more listings come to the market.
“Listings continue to go under contract in under a month, which highlights the feedback from Realtors® that buyers are swiftly snatching up moderately-priced properties. Existing supply is still not at a healthy level, and new home construction is not keeping up to meet demand.”
Takeaway: Inventory of homes for sale is still well below the 6-month supply needed for a normal market. Prices will continue to rise if a sizable supply does not enter the market.
Boston Real Estate and the Bottom Line
If you are going to sell, now may be the time to take advantage of the ready, willing, and able buyers that are still out looking for your Beacon Hill, Midtown or Seaport condo for sale
