Marblehead one of the “happiest places”
According to this zippia.com review of the happiest places in Massachusetts Marblehead ranks number 10 of the 115 towns with a population in excess of 2,000.
The criteria used in this analysis were:
- Being well educated (Population with at least a bachelor’s degree)
- Having a job (As measured by the unemployment rate)
- A short commute to work (God do people hate traffic)
- Low cost of living
- Having a family (Getting, and staying married, has a ton of happiness benefits, on average)
- Owning a home (That’s a big plus)
- And the poverty rate (Money definitely helps out)
Well, I looked through the list of the 9 ranked above Marblehead and I have one question for each of these towns: “where’s the ocean?” They are all inland – and happy? Really?
This is what being happy looks like:
Marblehead harbor from the Neck – courtesy of Bart Snow
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.
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.
Read Which broker should I choose to list my house for sale?
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
@OliverReports
Housing Inventory today, by price and town, versus a year ago
This article compares today’s inventory, by price, compared with that of a year ago.We are now past the vagaries of winter weather and the dates of Easter and Passover, thus making the comparisons like for like for probably the first time this year. I will look first at Essex County and Massachusetts for the big picture, followed by Marblehead, Swampscott, Salem, Beverly and Lynn, adding comments where appropriate.
Overall, the story is of a decline in inventory at lower price levels and an increase at higher price points, a trend consistent with a rising market.
Massachusetts and Essex County
Overall inventory is down in the entire State by 9% for SFHs and 6% for condos; in Essex County the decline is 10% for SFHs and 12% for condos. But…. there is a marked difference between supply under $500,000 and above that figure, with large declines in supply below $500,000 and increases above that figure, particularly at the top end.
Source: MLS, Oliver Reports
Marblehead
While Marblehead is one of the few towns to show an increase in inventory over 2015, it still shows a sharp drop from the 92 and 100 SFHs for sales on this date in 2013 and 2014, while condo inventory is more in line with numbers from those years. The increase in SFH inventory is concentrated in the $750,000 – $999,999 and over $2 million brackets for SFHs and, rather surprisingly, in condos under $250,000.
Source:MLS, Oliver Reports
Swampscott
The story in Swampscott continues to be the incredibly low level of supply, most markedly for SFHs below $500,000, where the number available has collapsed from 25 to just 3. And there are just 5 condos for sale in the entire town.
Source:MLS, Oliver Reports
Salem
While overall supply in Salem is down just slightly from last year, here again we see declines in inventory at the lower price levels:
Source: MLS, Oliver Reports
Beverly
The total number of SFHs for sale is much the same as last year but the mix has changed, with a huge drop under $400,000 and increases in most of the higher ranges. Condos for sale under $250,000 plunged from 16 to just 4.
Source:MLS, Oliver Reports
Lynn
The decline is most pronounced in SFHs under $300,000 where supply has more than halved from 48 to 23.
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
Marblehead Q1 Housing Market by the Numbers
This report shows a picture of the Marblehead Q1 Housing Market by the Numbers, followed by a snapshot of current inventory compared with a year ago. For a more detailed report on the Q1 SFH market read Marblehead home prices set record in Q1
Median Prices and Sales
Sales of both SFHs and Condos were quite consistent with the last couple of years. The median price of a SFH was the highest recorded in the first quarter, but as my report above showed a lot of that was due to the mix of sales in the quietest quarter of the year.
Marblehead’s condo market is a mix of older conversions and newer developments. This, together with the small number of sales, leads to great volatility in the median price over short periods of time.
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
When looking at the inventory of houses for sale it is important to remember the difference between relative and absolute. Relatively speaking, inventory is up on a year ago with all the increase above $750,000. But in absolute terms the numbers are still low. Marblehead has averaged around 70 SFH sales in Q2 – April to June – in the last few years. Current inventory of 65, therefore, represents less than 3 months of supply.
The number of condos for sale, while higher than at this time last year, is still absolutely low.
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.
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.
Read Which broker should I choose to sell my house?
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty. Each Office Is Independently Owned and Operated
@OliverReports
Are new listings up in Marblehead?
It would be logical to assume that, after a mild winter and with continued improvement in the housing market locally, new listings this year would show an increase. That has, indeed, proved to be the case compared with last year, but total new listings in the first quarter were very similar to the number for 2013 and 2014.
Total new listings Q1
MLS, Oliver Reports
Break down by List Price
When we look at the list price of new houses on the market, we see an interesting pattern, one which gives support to the belief that prices are rising. If we focus on 2013, 2014 and 2016, when the total numbers were very similar, we see a clear trend: a sharp drop under $500,000, and modest increases up to $1.5 million.
MLS, Oliver Reports
What is the seasonal pattern of new listings?
While this article has focused on new listings in Q1, the peak period for new listings is only now underway. Note how Q1 and Q3 were similar in 2013 but in 2014 and 2015 there were more new listings in Q3. And Q4, not surprisingly, saw the lowest number in each year.
MLS, Oliver Reports
And finally, if only because these I had to calculate all these numbers to get the summaries, here are the monthly numbers.
MLS, Oliver Reports
Comment
While it maybe somewhat surprising that new listings are not showing, at least so far, a greater increase from the levels of 2013 and 2014, we are now in the peak period for new listings. Half-way through April, however, we have seen just 21 new listings, not an indication of any general pick-up in listings.
The demand is clearly out there – 8 of April’s 21 new listings have already received offers – meaning this is an excellent time to list your house for sale if you are planning to move.
If you – or somebody you know – 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.
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.
Read How should I choose the broker to 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
Open House TODAY. New Listing – Marblehead Old Town Antique
With winter weather due to return overnight, you may want to consider attending today’s first Open House at 59 Washington Street in Marblehead.
This Bright and sunny 1800 Antique Colonial is over 3,000 sf and has 6 Bedrooms and 4 Baths, including a self-contained 1 bed 1 bath apartment (AirBnB?). It has high ceilings, wide staircases, wide pine floors and 7 fireplaces, while also offering 2 decks and garden areas.
Open House today 12:00 – 2:00
Open House Sunday 11:30 – 1:00
Marblehead home prices set record in First Quarter
Marblehead home prices set a record in the first Quarter of 2016, with the median price of $660,000 equalling the record quarterly number in Q3 2015. But……the first quarter is almost always the lowest quarter in terms of the number of sales and, consequently, the quarter most likely to be distorted by the pattern of sales.
The goal of this blog is twofold: to report the numbers, and to interpret them. The second is the more important goal, since there are many, often automated, sources of bare bones numbers, but far fewer analyses and commentaries on the numbers.
Here is the breakdown for 2015 and 2016:
MLS, Oliver reports
And in chart form:
MLS,Oliver Reports
Commentary
In the first several months of 2015 the surprise, at least to me, was the lack of activity at the higher end in Marblehead. That changed as the year went on, and in Q1 2016 we are seeing some of that effect as sales agreed last year closed in this one. We have already had 3 sales over $3 million (1 over $4 million) and one just below that level.
As a market strengthens, so it is reasonable to expect that sales will move up into higher brackets. Note that sales between $750,000 and $1 million increased from 1 to 5, and that all sales over $750,000 doubled year over year.
While, because of the small number, I believe caution is needed as to the absolute number of the median price to start 2016, there is no doubt that the sales activity in Q1 is indicative of a healthy market. For the reasons I have mentioned it is quite likely that Q1 will see the highest median price for the year, something which last occurred in 2008 and we do not want to relive that year!
I have suggested before that 2016 may be the year when we see homeowners in Boston cashing in their profits and heading to the ‘burbs – and if you are going to move to the ‘burbs what better place to go than historic, idyllic (definition: peaceful, happy and enjoyable) Marblehead! Already this year a large percentage of buyers attending Open Houses are coming from Boston, suggesting that 2016 will be a good year for the real estate market here. (more…)
Where have all the sellers gone?
I am sure I am not alone in expecting that housing inventory would be higher this (early) spring, given the mild winter and continuing low interest rates,but that has not happened. In this post I look at inventory for both Single Family Homes (SFH) and Condos for local towns, Essex County and Massachusetts.
Marblehead, Swampscott, Beverly and Salem
None of these markets has higher inventory than last year – the big snow year, remember? All are sharply down from 2013 and 2014.
Similar story for condos – look at the drop in Salem.
MLS, Oliver Reports
Essex County and Massachusetts
These don’t show well in a chart so here are the numbers, which show a similar, but less pronounced pattern.
Changes in inventory since 2013
The last two charts show the percentage decline in inventory since 2013.
MLS, 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 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
3 Marblehead Oceanfront Open Houses
It’s a great day to visit Marblehead and see these Marblehead Oceanfront Open Houses
Another $4 million sale in Marblehead
When I wrote Marblehead sets record for $3 million sales in late January I was unaware that a private sale was about to take place at $4.5 million. There are two interesting things about this sale: it was not on the Neck and it was not waterfront.
This transaction takes the number of sales over $3 million in the last six months or so to 6 with two more pending sales of houses listed over $3 million.
There are just 2 Oceanfront properties on the market in Marblehead and both have Open Houses today. (more…)
An aerial video of Marblehead
Click here for an aerial video of Marblehead, courtesy of the Mariner , the proposed new assisted living facility. (more…)
Marblehead Oceanfront: price too low to display
Following several recent sales of oceanfront property in Marblehead, there is very little such property available for sale. In my Boston 117 Marblehead 3 article I suggested that buying interest above $3 million is in the process of rippling out from Boston.
Meanwhile, there is an opportunity to buy a restored 1850 Oceanfront estate in Marblehead at a price greatly reduced from its original list price. Click here to find the price and details. There is an Open House today 12:30 -2:30. (more…)
Marblehead 2015 Median Price revised
Recently, I spotted in the MLS that one SFH listing in Marblehead was still showing as pending several months after an offer had been accepted. I checked with the Registry of Deeds and found that the sale had actually closed last October, but the broker had failed to update the listing in MLS, a violation of MLS rules. (Note, this was not one of the major real estate firms, but an Entry Only listing).
No big deal, you may think, but the addition of just one sale did two things: it lowered the median price for 2015 by $2,500 to $596,500, and it caused me to redo 6 charts and tables. The first was disappointing, the second downright annoying.
Here is the revised Marblehead 2015 Housing Market review. (more…)
Which broker should list my house for sale?
You’ve decided to sell your house. The big question is: which broker should you hire to sell it? And how do you make that decision? I find that possibly the least understood aspect of home buying and selling is the mechanism by which a house is actually sold.
Who actually produces the buyers for houses?
The table below shows the percentage of a firm’s or office’s listings that are sold by an agent in that office: NOT the percentage sold by the individual listing the property, but the percentage sold by any other agent in the same office or firm.
The numbers are for 2015 for 4 local towns plus the whole of Essex County, for the top 10 offices or firms in each market (the top 6 in Marblehead). Offices, the first table, mean each individual office: so firm A may have several offices in the region but this number is for each individual office. The second table is for all a firm’s offices in the region.
Source: MLS, Oliver Reports
One of my jobs is to look at statistics and decide if they are significant or not. What strikes me about the numbers in this table is their consistency: both individual offices and firms sell roughly 1 in 4 of the houses they list for sale. Which means that some 3 out of every 4 houses are sold, not only not by the individual listing agent, but not by any of the other 20 or 30 or however many agents in her firm!
Does market share matter?
Not obviously. Each city or town has its combination of chains and local brokers. The bigger the area surveyed – as in Essex County – naturally the larger the market share of the firms with multiple offices will be. But the increase in the percentage of listings sold is very modest. As a numbers man I would have to say that I see no evidence that market share is a determining factor in who actually finds the buyer of a house for sale.
So how should you decide who should sell your house?
I was shocked when I first came across these numbers while preparing a presentation to a potential seller. They made me rethink the reasons for choosing a broker. My belief now is that, while there are several factors that go into the decision. The most important factors are the ability to develop a strategic partnership between the seller and the listing broker, the marketing plan presented by that broker, price and presentation.
What should be in the marketing plan?
Putting the listing in MLS and holding Open Houses is not a marketing plan. It is the old way of doing business.
Today, according to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), over 90% of buyers use the internet in some way during their search and more than 50% use a mobile website or app. Where appropriate, you should expect your broker to have an online presence (including a website exclusively for your home), and a plan for using social media advertising.
Photographs matter! The days of a broker showing up with his own camera, and snapping photos with the lights off or curtains drawn are long gone. You need professional high-resolution photos. At Harborside Sotheby’s our photos have to go through Sotheby’s quality control department.
Other things to look for include floor plans (which can be interactive with photos embedded), a video, which can be narrated, and a professionally produced glossy brochure.
All these things, of course, cost money, but remember that the listing agent is normally getting a commission of 2 1/2% of the sale price. Shouldn’t he be willing to spend a reasonable amount on marketing your house professionally and thoroughly?
My friend from church/synagogue/yacht club/ yoga is a broker: I feel I ought to give her the listing
Ah, the “ought to’s”. How much of our life is driven by ought to’s?
This is often the hardest issue for a seller to face. According to the NAR a full 70% of sellers contacted only one broker before listing their home. One solution is to say to that friend: “I would like you to make a presentation to me to sell my home. Just to let you know, my financial advisor/accountant/spouse has recommended that I get presentations from 3 brokers so I am doing that.”
You may still select your friend, but you will have an out if you decide to choose somebody else. And trust me, every agent has stories of listings they expected to get but didn’t. That’s the nature of a business where there are so many agents. And if you do list with your friend, you will know that you are doing so for business as well as personal reasons.
Who should be targeted by the marketing plan?
The ultimate buyer of the house, right? Well yes, but at least as important, if not more so, are agents of other firms, because they are the most likely source of the buyer for your house. You should ask the agents you interview about their plans for marketing your house to agents of other firms.
Should I list with the broker who suggests the highest price?
One of my favourite sayings is that the market will decide the correct price for your house. It is human nature to want to believe that your house is worth the highest possible price, so it is very tempting to go with the agent who quotes the highest price. And it is not unknown for that one buyer to come along and pay that price. But the chances are greater that a high price will put off buyers.
If other agents think the price is too high – and the ones who competed for the listing and suggested a lower price will – then they are less likely to call their buyers to go and look at the house.
You are the customer
Most of us when we are considering a significant purchase do some reasonably thorough research of the product and alternatives. We might look at several different cars or TVs, read online reviews(from a trusted source such as Consumer Reports), ask friends – and then make an informed decision. Yet 70% of us do not apparently follow the same approach when it comes to selling what is for most of us our biggest asset.
The number one goal of Oliver Reports is to make you an informed buyer or seller of real estate. I hope this article helps you to make an informed decision when you decide to sell your house.
And if you would like me to be one of the 3 brokers you ask to discuss the sale of your home I should be delighted to meet with you.
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.
Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty Sotheby’s International Realty® is a registered trademark licensed to Sotheby’s International Realty Affiliates LLC. 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
Only 2 Oceanfront Homes for sale in Marblehead
Recently I published Marblehead sets record for sales over $3 million highlighting the spurt in sales of Oceanfront properties recently.
The pace of sales (and the withdrawal of some properties from the market) means that there are now only 2 Oceanfront homes for sale in Marblehead, one on Ocean Avenue and 11 Crown Way, and both have Open Houses this Sunday.
DCIM101MEDIADJI_0404.JPG
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 I use to sell my home?
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
Bizarre Open House activity
Last Sunday the temperature was in the single digits after the coldest night in 60 years. It was also the start of school vacation week in New England. And it was President’s Day weekend. And Valentine’s Day.
Being smart people, most real estate agents concluded that there was no point in holding an Open House.
But a bizarre thing happened. At one of the few Open Houses in Marblehead, 16 couples came through. At another there were 12. And both these houses were hosted by Harborside Sotheby’s International Realty (HSIR) agents.
There are two clear messages: buyers are out there, and HSIR agents really work hard for their clients – as well as having the best marketing plans. (more…)
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