Multiple Listing Service of the Houston Association of REALTORS® includes residential properties and new homes listed by 50,000 REALTORS®
Sales volume, pricing and inventory maintain their positive trajectory; rental properties experience a surge
HOUSTON — (April 12, 2017) — The Houston real estate marketâs 2017 winning streak continued in March, as single-family home sales and pricing rose while housing inventory grew. The strongest sales activity took place among homes in the $250,000 to $499,999 range, followed by the luxury market ($750,000 and above), which recorded its fifth consecutive month of sales gains. Inventory levels expanded from a 3.5-months supply to 3.8 months.
A total of 7,013 single-family homes sold in March versus 6,278 a year earlier, according to the latest monthly report produced by the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR). That represents an 11.7 percent increase. However, it is important to note that this gain compares to a March 2016 housing market that was facing uncertainty about the possible effects of falling oil prices.
"Houston home sales blossomed in March, but we also saw tremendous activity in the rental market," said HAR Chair Cindy Hamann with Heritage Texas Properties. "A healthy pace of new listings helped inventory levels grow, which is critical if we are to maintain the positive momentum."
The single-family home median price (the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less) climbed 5.8 percent to $227,530. That marks the highest median price ever for a March. The average price rose 4.6 percent to $284,279, which also represents a March high.
March sales of all property types in Houston totaled 8,495, up 10.5 percent from the same month last year. Total dollar volume for properties sold in March rocketed 15.6 percent to $2.3 billion.
The Houston real estate market enjoyed across-the-board gains in all statistical indicators during the month of March, with single-family home sales, total property sales, total dollar volume and pricing all up versus March of 2016.
Month-end pending sales for single-family homes totaled 8,311, an increase of 16.7 percent compared to last year. Total active listings, or the total number of available properties, jumped 9.9 percent from March 2016 to 37,926.
Single-family homes inventory grew from a 3.5-months supply to 3.8 months. For perspective, housing inventory across the U.S. also currently stands at a 3.8-months supply, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).
CATEGORIES | MARCH 2016 | MARCH 2017 | CHANGE |
Total property sales | 7,688 | 8,495 | 10.5% |
Total dollar volume | $1,970,078,537 | $2,278,567,977 | 15.7% |
Total active listings | 34,512 | 37,926 | 9.9% |
Single-family home sales | 6,278 | 7,013 | 11.7% |
Single-family average sales price | $271,781 | $284,279 | 4.6% |
Single-family median sales price | $215,000 | $227,530 | 5.8% |
Single-family months inventory* | 3.5 | 3.8 | 0.3 mos. |
Single-family pending sales | 7,124 | 8,311 | 16.7% |
Single-family home sales totaled 7,013, up 11.7 percent from 6,278 in March 2016, when the market was on edge about weakness in the energy industry. The median price rose 5.8 percent to a March high of $227,530. The average price climbed 4.6 percent to $284,279, also a record high for a March. Days on Market (DOM), or the number of days it took the average home to sell, rose slightly to 60 days versus 58 last year.
Broken out by housing segment, March sales performed as follows:
HAR also breaks out the sales figures for existing single-family homes. Existing home sales totaled 5,839 in March, up 13.3 percent versus the same month last year. The average sales price increased 7.6 percent to $270,122 while the median sales price jumped 8.2 percent to $211,000.
Townhome and condominium sales were up again in March, with 652 units selling versus 607 a year earlier. That represents an increase of 7.4 percent. The average price rose 3.4 percent to $200,556, while the median price was flat at $154,250. Inventory grew from a 3.5-months supply to 4.0 months.
The lease market exploded in March, with strong consumer demand among both single-family and townhome/condominium properties. Single-family home leases surged 36.6 percent while townhome/condominium leases leapt 37.8 percent. The average rent for single-family homes declined 4.9 percent to $1,647, while the average rent for townhomes/condominiums dropped 5.6 percent to $1,487.