So, how much have house prices gone up?
Anecdotally, we have all heard about how prices outside Boston are booming, as people move out of the city, but how much have prices actually gone up?
Because small numbers can – and do – produce misleading statistics, I look for large numbers, as in my quarterly reports. I have, however, calculated the monthly median prices for Essex County SFHs and for Boston condos. After these charts, I will also give an early indication of what the third quarter will look like in Marblehead and Swampscott.
Essex County SFH
This chart shows the monthly median prices for the last 4 years. The blue top line is 2020. After being around $500,000 for the first few months, the median price moved to $545,000 in July and to $575,000 in August. These are, of course, monthly numbers which can fluctuate, but it is also worth noting that the numbers for August refer to sales contracted in June for the most part.
This table shows the quarterly progression. Q2 and Q3 are normally the highest quarters for the year.
Boston Condos
This chart is less clear, but the table below shows that median prices are little changed from 2019 YTD and have been declining quarter by quarter in 2020.
Marblehead and Swampscott
After being below $700,000 in Q1 and Q2, the Q3 median SFH price will blow through not $700,000 but $800,000 – and comfortably at that.
In Swampscott, however, the median SFH is likely to be similar to the 2019 level. Some interesting analysis when I write my Q3 reports.
Goodbye Boston, Hello Marblehead
Housing Inventory chronically low while demand is strong
Mortgage rates dip below 3% – where to next?
Andrew Oliver
Market Analyst | Team Harborside | teamharborside.com
REALTOR®
Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty
One Essex Street | Marblehead, MA 01945
m 617.834.8205
www.OliverReports.com
Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com
Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
“If you’re interested in Marblehead, you have to visit the blog of Mr. Andrew Oliver, author and curator of OliverReports.com. He’s assembled the most comprehensive analysis of Essex County we know of with market data and trends going back decades. It’s a great starting point for those looking in the towns of Marblehead, Salem, Beverly, Lynn and Swampscott.”
How did North Shore Home Prices Perform in the last Decade?
The decade from 2010-2019 saw a remarkably consistent record of Single Family Home Price increases throughout the North Shore and Essex County.
For the purposes of comparison I have converted all prices to a base of 100 for 2009.
The first chart shows the performance of Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem, Beverly and Essex County as a whole. If you look at the numbers for 2019 you can see how consistent the performance was, with a 50% increase over the decade.
(more…)
The Obamas are better placed than General Waverly
Do you remember the scene in White Christmas when Bing Crosby goes on TV to ask all men formerly under the command of General Waverly to come to the General’s Inn in Vermont? (more…)
Former Celtic’s home for sale
For only $1.7 million you can live in a house in Newton once owned by Celtics’ legend Larry Robert McHal Paul– ok none of the above, but how about Aron Baynes?
Um, not quite the same, but it looks like a nice house.
Here’s a link to Baynes’ townhouse Newton townhouse.
Andrew Oliver
Market Analyst | Team Harborside | teamharborside.com
REALTOR®
Sagan Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty
One Essex Street | Marblehead, MA 01945
m 617.834.8205
www.OliverReports.com
www.TeamHarborside.com
Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com
Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
How much does Boston impact Massachusetts condo prices?
Boston has a huge impact on the Massachusetts condo market and this article quantifies that impact: Boston added over $50,000, or 15%, to the median price of a condo in Massachusetts in 2016. (more…)
Huge jump in Mortgage Loan Limits
Home buyers in Essex County and Suffolk County received a major boost this week with the announcement that the limit for conforming mortgages was being increased by 18% from $523,250 to $598,000.
For a buyer putting down 20% the price of a home that can be financed conventionally – meaning that it can be sold to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac – jumps by almost $100,000, from $654,063 to $747,500.
This table shows the trend in the last few years: (more…)
Seth Moulton: let’s build the North-South Rail Link
Congressman Seth Mouton has just written this North-South Link Key to Boston Economy article in the Boston Herald.
Source: VANASSE HANGEN BRUSTLIN, INC.
Rep. Moulton argues that the construction method for the Link would be entirely different from that of the Big Dig, and that both North and South Stations would continue without interruption, while the roads would stay open and uninterrupted.
Rep. Moulton quotes the new Crossrail link in London, which is 5 times the length of the North-South Link and is being completed on time and on budget (another huge difference from the Big Dig), while the Swiss have just opened the 35 mile Gotthard Tunnel under the Alps to provide a high-speed rail link between Northern and Southern Europe.
For those of us who live on the North Shore, a North-South Rail Link would provide a great boost. Please take the time to read about the proposal and become informed on the topic. (more…)
Boston – sneaker capital of the world
Boston is famous for its world class health care, education, sports teams, weather – well, maybe not weather – but did you know it is also about to become the sneaker capital of the world?
This week Reebok announced that it is moving its headquarters to Boston in 2017. This follows moves last year to Boston by both Converse (owned by Nike) and New Balance.
“We see a real opportunity to serve our workforce better by being in a setting that’s more accessible to public transportation, that’s more accessible to many of the positive things that are happening in Boston right now,” president Matt O’Toole told the Boston Globe. “We feel like there’s a real vibrant community that we want to more closely connect to.”
If you are considering selling your home please contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com for a free market analysis and explanation of the outstanding marketing program I offer.
Not sure which broker to use to sell your home? Read Which broker should I choose to sell my house?
If you are looking to buy, I will contact you immediately when a house that meets your needs is available. In this market you need to have somebody looking after your interests.
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
@OliverReports
Boston luxury condo boom continues
A recent report on boston.com’s real estate page , quoting statistics from Otis & Ahearn, shows that sales of higher-priced condos in Boston have continued to boom in 2016.
Source:millenniumtowersboston.com
Year-to-date sales of condos priced at $2,000 per sf or more have reached 42 compared with 7 at this time in 2015 and 20 for the whole of 2015.
The same trend can be seen in “lower-priced” condos: YTD sales of condos priced at $1,000 per sf and above have reached 826, more than double the 377 at this time last year. (more…)
More $3 million home sales
This boston.com article $3 million home sales refers to 6 sales over $3 million that occurred this week – in Boston and Weston.
After a pause, Marblehead saw a listing above $3 million receive an offer recently, so it seems that buyers are out there at the higher levels. Here’s one Marblehead oceanfront property still available 11 Crown Way.
If you are considering selling your home please contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com for a free market analysis and explanation of the outstanding marketing program I offer.
Read Which broker should I choose to sell my house?
If you are looking to buy, I will contact you immediately when a house that meets your needs is available. In this market you need to have somebody looking after your interests.
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
@OliverReports
Massachusetts Q1 Housing Market Review
This report reviews the Massachusetts Q1 Housing Market by the Numbers, followed by a snapshot of current inventory compared with a year ago.
Median Prices and Sales
Sales of SFHs jumped sharply, not just from last year’s level, but from that of the last several years and were the highest recorded in my records going back to 2000. Condo sales were also up significantly, but are still lower than in the heady days of 2005-2007.
The median price of both SFHs and condos was within 1% of last year’s Q1 levels. Always remember that quarterly numbers can be – and frequently are – volatile, especially during the winter months. We will get a truer picture of the underlying market trends when we get the numbers for the first half of the year.
Source: MLS, Oliver Reports
Current Inventory
The median SFH price in Massachusetts is around $360,000. While overall inventory for SFHs is down 7% from last year, the decline is concentrated below $500,000.
Numbers for the condo market in the entire State are distorted by the inclusion of Boston. The vast majority of the condos for sale over $1 million are in Boston, and places like Cambridge, Brookline and Newton. While the overall decline in inventory is 6%, it is 15-19% under $350,000.
Source: MLS, Oliver Reports
If you are considering selling your home please contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com for a free market analysis and explanation of the outstanding marketing program I offer.
Read Which broker should I choose to sell my house?
If you are looking to buy, I will contact you immediately when a house that meets your needs is available. In this market you need to have somebody looking after your interests.
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
@OliverReports
Boston – where millennials cannot afford to buy a home
A recent Bloomberg article cited a study showing 13 cities where millennials cannot afford to buy a home. While Boston is not as a bad as some of California’s cities, it still ranked number 10 on the survey.
There is, of course, a solution for people who are being priced out of Boston (or who want to take their profits) – move to Marblehead, as many people are. (more…)
Boston rents set new record
The average rent in Boston in the fourth quarter of 2015 topped $2,000 for the first time, rising 5.5% from a year earlier, according to this report from Reis.Inc.
Meanwhile, a new Zumper report shows that the median rent for a 1 bedroom apartment in Boston in February was $2,290. The “good” news is that rents in Boston have dropped slightly of late while those elsewhere continue to rise.
Source: Zumper.com
If you – or somebody you know – are considering buying or selling a home and have questions about the market and/or current home prices, feel free to contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com.
Read Which broker should list my house for sale?
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
You can REGISTER to receive email alerts of new posts on the right hand side of the home page at www.OliverReports.com.
@OliverReports
Buying is still cheaper than renting in Boston
After all the reports of sky-rocketing condo prices in Boston it may come as a surprise to read that buying is still cheaper than renting in Boston, but that is the statistically-based claim made in the Buy vs Rent Index produced by Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University.
Here is the chart for Boston:
Jeopardy answer: Boston 117 Marblehead 3
And the question is: “what is the number of condos in Boston that sold for more than $3 million in 2015 compared with the number of houses that sold in Marblehead over $3 million?”
Following my $20 million condos? post earlier this week, I read with interest this Record number of Boston condos sold for over $3 million in 2015 article on boston.com about condo sales in Boston in 2015. Oh, by the way, overall 286 condos (vs 191 in 2014) sold for more than $2 million and 822 (690 in 2014) for more than $1 million.
I think of real estate as being like a large pond: a pebble dropped in the middle creates ripples which reach out wider and wider with time. Boston is the middle of the Massachusetts pond, but the ripple effect is being seen as more and more buyers from Boston appear to be taking advantage of high prices there to sell and buy further out in the pond.
Here is a list of sales over $3 million for Boston and MA counties in 2015, followed by a breakdown by town. No real surprises – most of the higher end sales were in or near Boston, or on the Cape and Islands (my numbers exclude Nantucket as brokers there use a different MLS service).
Counties (and of course Boston)
Source: MLSPIN, Oliver Reports
Towns
Source: MLSPIN, Oliver Reports
If you – or somebody you know – are considering buying or selling a home and have questions about the market and/or current home prices, feel free to contact me on 617.834.8205 or Andrew.Oliver@SothebysRealty.com.
Read Which broker will find the buyer for my house?
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
You can REGISTER to receive email alerts of new posts on the right hand side of the home page at www.OliverReports.com.
@OliverReports
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