What’s the current supply of houses for sale locally?

This report sets out to analyze the current supply of houses for sale in Marblehead, Swampscott and Salem.

Single Family Homes (SFH)
First, let’s look at sales so far this year to May 20. The pace of sales is slower in winter so these numbers overstate the supply. Bear in mind that a market is generally regarded as being in equilibrium between buyers and sellers when there is 6 months of supply.

Next I looked at recent activity, namely the number of SFHs which had offers accepted since the beginning of April and compared that with current supply. April, May and June are generally the three largest months for accepted offers in these markets, so these numbers may slightly understate supply going forward, but they provide a stark indication of how little supply there is today, especially in Swampscott and Salem:

Source: MLS, Oliver Reports

Condos
While sales numbers for SFHs are similar for the three towns, they are very different for condos, where only Salem has  a large market. Thus the supply number for Salem is more significant than for the other towns:

Turning to accepted offers since the beginning of April, the supply drops sharply in all markets. Note that in Salem there have been 47 accepted offers so far in May alone and there are just 61 for sale.

Source: MLS, Oliver Reports

Comment
This report quantifies just how short of supply the market is, especially in Swampscott and Salem. And bear in mind that these numbers are for the total market; at lower prices there is even less supply, as higher priced properties generally take longer to sell.

The supply numbers are somewhat better in Marblehead where there is some evidence that list prices of SFHs have increased this year, possibly in advance of the market.

If you are considering selling your home please contact me on 617.834.8205 or [email protected] 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