12/18/2015
New Hampshire home sales, prices jump again
New Hampshire residential home sales and prices showed increases again in November, according to data released recently by the New Hampshire Association of Realtors (NHAR).
The 1,137 closed sales in the month marked a 10.5 percent increase from November 2014, while the median price of those sales was $233,975, a 3 percent hike from the median price of November 2014. It was the ninth consecutive month in which both the number of residential sales and median price were ahead of the same month prior year.
And sales volume, meaning the total dollars exchanged in those residential transactions, was 16 percent ahead of last November.
“We’ve had a very consistent message for the last couple of years, and that’s been a steadily improving housing market, reflective of a steadily improving economy,” said NHAR President Maxine Goodhue, an 18-year veteran of the real estate industry and a broker associate with Four Seasons Sotheby’s International Realty. “That’s no different this month.”
Year to date, the numbers are similarly on the rise. Through the end of November, 14,493 residential homes have been sold (an 11.3 percent increase from last year) in 2015, at a median price of $240,000 (5.3 percent increase), and a sales volume increase of 16 percent.
And although the total supply of the state’s available residential housing inventory was down by 11 percent at the end of November, compared to 2014, the new listings for the month increased by 9 percent, meaning prospective sellers seem to be optimistic about their market conditions.
Another indicator of inventory levels – months’ supply – dropped to 7.7 months, the lowest November number in more than 10 years. Months’ supply represents the number of months it would take to sell off the current inventory at the average pace of sales for the previous year.
And while the trend indicates momentum toward leverage on the sellers’ side, 7.7 months is considered a balanced market. More than nine months’ supply is traditionally thought of as a buyers’ market, and anything less than that a sellers’ market.
“This is a healthy market for both buyers and sellers,” Goodhue said.
The condominium market is also experiencing increases in 2015, with closed sales up by better than 8 percent in September and nearly 15 percent year to date. The median price on those sales was up by 6 percent in November and 2.4 percent year to date.
Locally, nine of 10 New Hampshire counties saw residential unit sales increases in November 2015 compared to 2014, and all 10 counties are ahead of 2014 year to date. Seven of 10 saw an increased median sales price in November, while year to date all but Merrimack County (down 1.4 percent) have seen a median price increase.
