Sales Up, Prices Down After 131-Month Streak

Existing-home sales reversed a 12-month slide in February, registering the largest monthly percentage increase since July 2020, according to the National Association of Realtors® (NAR). Month-over-month sales rose in all four major U.S. regions – but they also all saw year-over-year declines.

February median existing home prices fell for the first time in 131 months– almost eleven years – according to NAR. The median existing-home price for all housing types was $363,000, a decline of 0.2% from February 2022 ($363,700), as prices climbed in the Midwest and South yet waned in the Northeast and West.

Total existing-home sales – completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops – climbed 14.5% from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.58 million in February. Year-over-year, sales fell 22.6% (down from 5.92 million in February 2022).

Total housing inventory at the end of February was 980,000 units, identical to January and up 15.3% from one year ago (850,000). Unsold inventory sits at a 2.6-month supply at the current sales pace, down 10.3% from January but up from 1.7 months in February 2022.

Properties typically remained on the market for 34 days in February, up from 33 days in January and 18 days in February 2022. Still, most homes (57%) sold in February were on the market for less than a month.

Buyer types (more…)

Housing Market Favorable for Preseason Buyers

Speculation that home sales in October would drop dramatically in Collier County following Hurricane Ian was proven inaccurate as closed and pending sales for the month increased 23.7 and 8.7 percent, respectively, compared to closed and pending sales reported in September, according to the October 2022 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS® (NABOR®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island). And even though 525 listings were either terminated, expired or withdrawn from the Southwest Florida MLS during October, overall inventory for the month increased 72.7 percent to 2,325 properties from 1,346 properties in October 2021.

According to NABOR®’s statistics (more…)