Housing market: buyers moving up the price chain

In addition to looking at total sales and median prices I like to look at the breakdown of sales at different price levels. At this stage in the housing market recovery one would expect to see buyers trading up and increasing demand for prices at higher levels.

Although the first quarter in Massachusetts typically sees low sales, the breakdown of them does suggest a trend that I will be watching carefully as we move into the spring and summer.

First, sales in Marblehead. Note the drop in sales under $500,000 and the big jump in sales over $1 million.

Source: MLS, Oliver Reports

Having seen these numbers I looked at Essex County overall. These are the numbers:

Source: MLS, Oliver Reports

It is too early to declare “Mission Accomplished” but these numbers certainly suggest that 2014 may be the year we see buyers moving up the price bracket, either trading up or being willing, perhaps, to take some of their stock market gains and invest in a different asset class – real estate.

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 781.631.1223 or [email protected].

Andrew Oliver is a Realtor with Harborside Realty in Marblehead