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May Brings
Further Price Appreciation to Houston’s Housing Market
Single-family home sales reach the highest volume of 2009
HOUSTON —
(June 16, 2009) — Sales of single-family homes for the
greater Houston area achieved the highest volume of 2009 in May,
and average and median home prices climbed to the highest levels
since August 2008, showing signs of a real estate market that is
benefiting from seasonal spring home buying. However, compared
to one year earlier, overall May property sales were down 23.3
percent and sales of single-family homes dropped 21.2 percent,
according to new monthly data compiled by the Houston
Association of REALTORS® (HAR).
At $157,450, the
May single-family home median price – the figure at which half
of the homes sold for more and half sold for less – rose 1.6
percent versus one year earlier. The average price of a
single-family home in Houston edged up 0.3 percent last month to
$213,474 compared to May 2008.
Sales of foreclosure properties continued to shrink in May.
Those properties, which typically sell below market prices, made
up 19.9 percent of all single-family home sales in the Houston
area. That compares to 34.0 percent in January, 28.0 percent in
February, 24.5 percent in March and 23.6 percent in April. The
median price of May foreclosure sales reported in the Multiple
Listing Service (MLS) tumbled 5.3 percent from $89,900 to
$85,108 on a year-over-year basis.
Sales of all property types in Houston for May totaled 5,539,
off 23.3 percent compared to May 2008. Total dollar volume for
properties sold during the month was $1.1 billion versus $1.5
billion one year earlier, a 23.8 percent decline.
Demand for rental properties eased slightly in May, with leases
of single-family homes up 0.1 percent and leases of townhouses
and condominiums up 6.2 percent on a year-over-year basis. This
may be an indication that consumers are growing more inclined to
purchase rather than lease homes, especially as interest
rates—still at historically low levels—begin to rise.
“The more I speak with real estate associations around the
country, the more I appreciate the strength with which the
Houston market has weathered the economic downturn,” said Vicki
Fullerton, HAR chair and broker of record at RE/MAX of The
Woodlands & Spring. “Our current housing climate has been
performing at about 2004 levels while other regions of the U.S.
are suffering what Houston endured back in the 1980s,” she
added. “Many Houston Realtors are reporting increased activity
this spring, and we hope that translates to measurable
improvement in overall market performance.”
May Monthly Market Comparison
The month of May brought Houston’s overall housing market mixed
results when all listing categories are compared to May of 2008.
Total property sales and total dollar volume fell on a
year-over-year basis while average and median single-family home
sales prices rose.
The number of available properties, or active listings, at the
end of May fell 15.1 percent from May 2008 to 45,282. That is
just 13 more active listings than one month earlier, in April
2009, and continues to reflect balanced levels of housing
inventory.
Month-end pending
sales—those listings expected to close within the next 30
days—totaled 3,637, which was 24.7 percent lower than last year
and suggests another decline in sales when the June numbers are
tallied. The month’s inventory of single-family homes for May
came in at 6.2 months, down 5.4 percent from one year earlier.
The national month’s inventory of single-family homes rose
slightly to 10.2 months, according to the National Association
of REALTORS® (NAR).
CATEGORIES
MAY 2008
MAY 2009
PERCENT CHANGE
Total property sales
7,218
5,539
-23.3%
Total dollar volume
$1,497,152,151
$1,140,088.553
-23.8%
Average single-family sales
price
$212,872
$213,474
0.3%
Median single-family sales price
$155,000
$157,450
1.6%
Total active listings
53,305
45,282
-15.1%
Total pending sales
4,828
3,637
-24.7%
Months inventory*
6.5
6.2
-5.4%
* Months inventory estimates
the number of months it will take to deplete current active
inventory based on the prior 12 months sales activity. This
figure is representative of the single-family homes market.
Single-Family Homes Update
At $213,474, the average sales price for
single-family homes rose 0.3 percent from May 2008, when it was
$212,872. The figure is at its highest level since last August.
The median price of single-family homes in April was $157,450,
up 1.6 percent from one year earlier. The national single-family
median price reported by NAR is $169,800, illustrating the
continued higher value and lower cost of living that the Houston
market offers consumers.
May sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled
4,797, down 21.2 percent from May 2008, and accounted for the
21st consecutive monthly drop. However, that volume is the
highest so far for 2009. Year-over-year sales of single-family
homes priced at $80,000 and below declined 12.3 percent in May,
reflecting tapering foreclosure-related transactions.
HAR also reports existing home statistics for the
single-family home segment of the real estate market. In May
2009, existing single-family home sales totaled 4,019, a 21.4
percent decrease from May 2008. At $196,866, the average sales
price for existing homes in the Houston area rose 0.5 percent
compared to last year. The median sales price of $147,400 for
the month was up 1.6 percent from one year earlier.
Townhouse/Condo Update
The number of townhouses and condominiums
sold in May fell compared to one year earlier. In the greater
Houston area, 399 units were sold last month versus 618
properties in May 2008, translating to a 35.4 percent decrease
in year-over-year sales. However, that still represents the
highest sales volume for all of 2009.
The average price of a townhouse/condominium fell to
$156,907, down 11.1 percent from one year earlier. The median
price declined 18.7 percent to $125,950 from May 2008 to May
2009.
Lease Property Update
Demand for single-family rentals eased in
May, and may suggest that conditions—particularly for first-time
homebuyers—have improved to the point where consumers are ready
to purchase. Single-family home rentals rose 0.1 percent last
month compared to a year earlier. Year-over-year
townhouse/condominium rentals rose 6.2 percent.
Houston Real Estate Milestones in May
At $213,474, the average price of a
single-family home reached its highest level since August 2008;
At $157,450, the median price of a
single-family home rose to the highest level since August 2008;
Volume of single-family home sales reached
the highest level of 2009;
Volume of townhouse/condominium sales reached
the highest level of 2009;
Single-family home rentals rose 0.1 percent
while rentals of townhouse and condominium units increased 6.2
percent;
Month’s inventory of single-family homes
dipped from 6.5 to 6.2 months compared to the national average
of 10.2 months;
Active listings fell 15.1 percent,
representing a generally balanced supply of housing inventory.
The
computerized Multiple Listing Service of the Houston Association
of Realtors® includes residential properties and new homes
listed by 23,000 Realtors throughout Harris, Fort Bend and
Montgomery counties, as well as parts of Brazoria, Galveston,
Waller and Wharton counties. Residential home sales statistics
as well as listing information for more than 53,000 properties
may be found on the Internet at http://www.har.com.
The information published and disseminated to the HAR Multiple
Listing Services is communicated verbatim, without change by
Multiple Listing Services, as filed by MLS participants.
The MLS does not verify the information provided and disclaims
any responsibility for its accuracy. All data is preliminary and
subject to change. Monthly sales figures reported since November
1998 includes a statistical estimation to account for late
entries. Twelve-month totals may vary from actual end-of-year
figures. (Single-family detached homes were broken out
separately in monthly figures beginning February 1988.)
Founded in 1918, the Houston Association of Realtors® (HAR) is a
23,000-member organization of real estate professionals engaged
in every aspect of the industry, including residential and
commercial sales and leasing, appraisal, property management and
counseling. It is the largest individual membership trade
association in Houston, as well as the second largest local
association/board of Realtors® in the United States.