Essex County 2022 Housing Market Review
Single Family Homes (SFH)
After sharp increases Year-over-Year (YOY) in Q2 and Q3, the median SFH price in Essex County showed a more modest increase (YOY) in Q4, and also showed the usual seasonal decline from Q3 into Q4. Overall, the median price increased 5% for the year to $640,000, taking the increase in the last 3 years to 35%. Reflecting the low levels of inventory recently, SFH sales declined 11% in H1 and 18% in H2.
The share of sales over $600,000 increased from 52% in 2021 to 58% in 2022, driving the median price for the year well over $600,000.
Condos
The median condo sale price moved more steadily upwards in 2022, increasing by 11% in both H1 and H2, and by 34% since 2019. Sales fell 11% in H1 but by a startling 27% in H2. It seems likely that the increase in mortgage rates had a bigger impact on Condo sales – often bought as a first home with a significant mortgage – than on SFH sales, where mortgages – especially at the higher-end – tend to be less important with many buyers using cash or a large down-payment. (more…)
Salem 2022 Housing Market Review
Single Family Homes (SFH)
The SFH Median Price increased 9% in 2022. Sales were higher than in 2021, but otherwise were the lowest since 2012.
The share of sales over $600,000 increased from 40% in 2021 to 56% in 2022, driving the median price for the year to over $600,000. There were 11 sales over $1 million in 2022, up from 6 in 2021.
Condos (more…)
Beverly 2022 Housing Market Review
Single Family Homes (SFH)
The SFH Median Price increased 3% in 2022. while sales dropped to the lowest level since 2011.
The share of sales over $600,000 increased from 54% in 2021 to 60% in 2022, driving the median price for the year further above $600,000. There were 28 sales over $1 million in 2022, down from 41 in 2020.
Condos (more…)
Marblehead 2022 Housing Market Review
Single Family Homes (SFH)
The median price of Single Family Homes (SFH) sold in 2022 increased 10.4% to $938,000, and reached exactly $1 million in the second half of the year. Sales, reflecting a number of headwinds – amongst them, reduced inventory and a doubling of mortgage rates – dropped below 200 for the first time since 2011.
The share of sales over $1 million increased from 34% in 2021 to 46% in 2022, driving the median price for the year to over $900,000.
Condos (more…)
Swampscott 2022 Housing Market Review
Single Family Homes (SFH)
The SFH Median Price increased 14% in 2022, while sales dropped to the lowest level since 2010
The share of sales over $800,000 increased from 33% in 2021 to 48% in 2022, driving the median price for the year to almost $800,000. 32 of the 117 sales were over $1 million in 2022, compared with 18 in 2021.
Condos
The median Condo sold price increased 2.5%, while sales dropped to the lowest level since 2016. The share of sales over $400,000 increased slightly from 57% to 61% and, therefore, the median price also increased slightly. (more…)
Essex County Town by Town Guide: 2022 Median Prices and Sales; 2023 Tax Rates
Here is a town-by-town guide to 2022 Median Prices and Sales, together with 2023 property tax rates.
Read February Inventory as low as this weekend’s temperature
And these recent articles:
Economic and mortgage commentary
How Marblehead’s 2023 Property Tax Rate is Calculated
Essex County 2023 Property Tax Rates: Town by Town guide
Lies, Damned Lies and Inflation “Statistics”* (more…)
January Sales in Marblehead and Swampscott
A small sample for January, but two observations:
1. the number of properties selling above list price was lower overall, and the amount over list decreased – there were no sales at 110% or more.
2. 4 of the properties had price cuts – and all 4 sold for less than their reduced price.
Read February Inventory as low as this weekend’s temperature
(more…)
Open Houses Sunday January 22
Here are today’s Open Houses:
Click on these links for details:
Marblehead Open Houses
Swampscott Open Houses
Salem Open Houses
Beverly Open House
And these recent articles: (more…)
Essex County 2023 Property Tax Rates: Town by Town guide
Property tax rates for FY 2022 for all 34 cities and towns in Essex County have been certified. The first table shows the tax rates in alphabetical order, while the second lists them from low to high.
Tax rates for each town
Alphabetically (download a copy of this table by clicking here) (more…)
How Marblehead’s 2023 Property Tax Rate is Calculated
The formula for calculating the property tax is: take the $ amount of the previous year’s Tax Levy, add 2.5% for Proposition 2 1/2, and also add any New Growth (such as new construction or a condo conversion). This figure is the new tax levy. To this figure is added debt service – the Principal and Interest payable on the town’s debt. – to produce the total Tax Levy.
The tax rate is then calculated by dividing the Tax Levy by the Assessed Value of property – and, crucially, that calculation is based upon prices as of January 1, 2022, using date from sales in calendar year 2021. What that means is that 2022 sales are used for the calculation of the tax rate in FY2024 – not FY2023.
Here are the numbers for Fiscal Years 2022 and 2023, remembering that FY 2023 runs from July 2022 to June 2023. (more…)
New Listings week ending January 13
Here are the latest New Listings:
Click on these links for details: (more…)
December sales in Marblehead and Swampscott still mostly above List Price
The small number of December sales in Marblehead and Swampscott continued to show strength.
Marblehead
6 of 9 SFH sales in December – and 1 of 3 Condo sales – were over List price.
Swampscott
6 of 9 SFH sales in October were at or over List price, while 1 of the Condo sales was at List and one just below. (more…)
Open Houses New Year weekend
Here are this weekend’s Open Houses (just 1 in Beverly and Marblehead, 2 in Swampscott and 3 in Salem) :
Click on these links for details:
Marblehead Open Houses
Swampscott Open Houses
Salem Open Houses
Beverly Open House (more…)
Open Houses Sunday December 18
Here are today’s Open Houses:
Click on these links for details:
Marblehead Open Houses
Swampscott Open Houses
Salem Open Houses
Beverly Open House (more…)
Why Mortgage Rates Will Fall
I have read and heard several comments suggesting that the increase in the 30-year Fixed Rate Mortgage (FRM) this year has been a direct result of the increase in the Federal Reserve’s Fed Funds rate (FF).
This is not correct.
As I will demonstrate, the FRM is determined by market forces, and in particular by the extra yield – the “spread” – which investors require when buying pools of mortgages (Mortgage Backed Securities or MBS), as compared with the risk-free yield available with the 10-year Treasury Note (10T) which has the nearest duration to the expected life of a pool of mortgages.
In contrast, the FF is the rate that banks use when setting their Prime Rates. When the FF increases, banks increase their Prime Rates and therefore the interest rate on those loans whose rates are based upon Prime Rates – e.g. credit cards and auto loans.
And we will see that the FRM increased this year long before the Fed started to increase the FF rate.
Mortgage-Backed Securities (MBS)
A conventional mortgage or conventional loan is any type of home buyer’s loan that is not offered or secured by a government entity. Instead, conventional mortgages are available through private lenders, such as banks, credit unions, and mortgage companies.
Most conventional mortgages are packaged into mortgage-backed securities and sold to investors. This allows the bank or originator to use its capital to finance more mortgages.
The relationship between 10T and FRM
This chart shows how the two have moved in lockstep over the last 30-plus years:
Source: National Association of Realtors
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