NAR: Northeast Existing-Home Sales Flat in October
Year-over-year sales rose in the Northeast, Midwest and South, and decreased in the West.
Lower mortgage rates are enabling more homebuyers to go under contract.
The average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage in August was 6.59%, according to Freddie Mac, down from 6.72% in July and 6.50% one year ago.
Two out of three agents either agree (38%) or strongly agree (29%) that their brokerage provides all the tech tools they need.
Month-over-month comparisons revealed significant regional variation. Sullivan County led the surge with a 16.4% jump in median home prices, followed by Putnam County with an 11.3% increase.
At the metro level, seven of the 50 largest U.S. markets were in buyer’s market territory in June with six months or more of supply: Miami, Austin, Orlando, New York, Jacksonville, Tampa, and Riverside, CA.
Even with modest improvements in mortgage rates, housing affordability, and inventory, buyers still remain hesitant.
While wages have risen 15.7% in the same time frame, they haven't kept pace with borrowing costs.
In July, inventory saw small gains in some counties, but the market is still tight overall.
The ever-so-slight improvement in housing affordability is inching up home sales.
Despite the dip in closings, prices continued to rise: the median sales price for single-family homes jumped 7.3% to $775,000.
Home prices have been rising faster in the Midwest, due to affordability, and the Northeast, due to limited inventory.
The Out of Reach report found that the cost of housing in the Hudson Valley continues to rise faster than wages for renters and buyers.
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