Monthly Housing Update

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Matthew Burrus

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David Mendel

Public Relations Manager

Multiple Listing Service of the Houston Association of REALTORS® includes residential properties and new homes listed by 50,000 REALTORS®

MLS Report for April 2011

HOUSTON HOME SALES LAG IN APRIL YEAR-OVER-YEAR COMPARISON

Interest in rental properties continues to grow


HOUSTON — (May 17, 2011) — The boost that the federal home buyer tax credit gave the Houston housing market in April 2010 continues to overshadow local home sales one year later. Sales of homes declined in April 2011 along with average and median prices, however volume rose among rental properties.

According to the latest monthly data compiled by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), April single-family home sales fell 14.2 percent versus one year earlier. Only the under-$80,000 segment of the market experienced increased sales, which weighed down pricing. Compared to April of 2009, a year with no unusual market factors such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 10.1 percent.

The average price of a single-family home dipped 0.6 percent from April 2010 to $202,545. The April single-family home median price—the figure at which half of the homes sold for more and half sold for less—declined 2.2 percent year-over-year to $148,000.

Foreclosure property sales reported in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) decreased 4.6 percent in April compared to one year earlier. Foreclosures comprised 22.0 percent of all property sales in April, down from 23.5 percent in March. The median price of April foreclosures fell 10.4 percent to $79,700 on a year-over-year basis.

April sales of all property types in Houston totaled 5,534, down 12.0 percent compared to April 2010. Total dollar volume for properties sold during the month declined 12.8 percent to $1.1 billion versus $1.2 billion one year earlier.

"The April home sales figures remain skewed, as this was the period last year when the final push was on for consumers to beat the April 30 home buyer tax credit deadline," said Carlos P. Bujosa, HAR chairman and VP at Transwestern. "We see tremendous interest in the Houston housing market as local employment numbers strengthen, particularly among rental properties, which give consumers an option until they are ready to enter the market as buyers."

April Monthly Market Comparison

The month of April brought Houston's overall housing market largely negative results when all listing categories are compared to April of 2010. Total property sales, total dollar volume and both average and median prices declined on a year-over-year basis.

Month-end pending sales for April totaled 3,745, down 18.8 percent from last year. That suggests the likelihood of lower demand when the May figures are totaled. The number of available properties, or active listings, at the end of April rose 5.8 percent from April 2010 to 51,694. The increase in available housing pushed the April inventory of single-family homes to 7.8 months compared to 6.5 months one year earlier. That means that it would take 7.8 months to sell all the single-family homes on the market based on sales activity over the past year. The figure still compares favorably to the national inventory of single-family homes of 8.4 months reported by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR).

CATEGORIES APRIL 2010 APRIL 2011 PERCENT CHANGE
Total property sales 6,288 5,534 -12.0%
Total dollar volume $1,236,932,669 $1,078,640,018 -12.8%
Total active listings 48,869 51,694 5.8%
Total pending sales 4,613 3,745 -18.8%
Single-family home sales 5,391 4,625 -14.2%
Single-family average sales price $203,737 $202,545 -0.6%
Single-family median sales price $151,260 $148,000 -2.2%
Months inventory* 6.5 7.8 20.6%
* Months inventory estimates the number of months it will take to deplete current active inventory based on the prior 12 months sales activity. This figure is representative of the single-family homes market.

Single-Family Homes Update

April sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled 4,625, down 14.2 percent from April 2010. This follows 5.3 percent and 2.2 percent declines in March and February respectively, and an 8.3 percent jump in January, which marked the first increase in seven months. When compared to April of 2009, a year in which there were no unusual real estate market influences such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the home buyer tax credit in 2010, single-family home sales were up 10.1 percent.

Broken out by segment, April sales of homes priced below $80,000 climbed 27.6 percent; sales of homes in the $80,000-$150,000 range dropped 21.8 percent; sales of homes between $150,000 and $250,000 declined 23.5 percent; sales of homes ranging from $250,000-$500,000 slid 13.1 percent; and sales of homes that make up the luxury market—priced from $500,000 and up—were down 3.0 percent.

Single Family Home Sales

Strong sales volume in the under-$80,000 home segment weighed down pricing. At $202,545, the average price of single-family homes dipped 0.6 percent compared to one year earlier. At $148,000, the median sales price for single-family homes declined 2.2 percent versus April 2010. The national single-family median price reported by NAR is $160,500, illustrating the continued higher value and lower cost of living available to consumers in Houston.

Single Family Average Home Price

HAR also breaks out the sales performance of existing single-family homes throughout the Houston market. In April 2011, existing home sales totaled 3,963, a 11.6 percent drop from April 2010. The average sales price ticked up 0.6 percent to $191,807 compared to last year and the median sales price of $138,000 fell 2.8 percent.

Townhouse/Condominium Update

The number of townhouses and condominiums that sold in April dropped 15.2 percent compared to one year earlier. In the greater Houston area, 419 units were sold last month versus 494 properties in April 2010.

The average price rose 3.3 percent to $168,132 from April 2010 to April 2011. The median price of a townhouse/condominium declined 4.2 percent to $130,000.

Townhouse/Condominium Sales

Lease Property Update

Demand for single-family home rentals continued to soar in April, rising 27.9 percent compared to one year earlier. Year-over-year townhouse/condominium rentals increased 27.1 percent.

Houston Real Estate Milestones in April
  • When compared to April 2009, a year with no unusual market factors such as Hurricane Ike in 2008 and the 2010 tax credit, single-family home sales were up 10.1 percent;
  • Single-family home rentals rose 27.9 percent;
  • Townhouse/condominium rentals increased 27.1 percent;
  • 7.8 months inventory of single-family homes compares favorably to the national average of 8.4 months.

  • The computerized Multiple Listing Service of the Houston Association of REALTORS® includes residential properties and new homes listed by 26,000 REALTORS® throughout Harris, Fort Bend and Montgomery counties, as well as parts of Brazoria, Galveston, Waller and Wharton counties. Residential home sales statistics as well as listing information for more than 50,000 properties may be found on the Internet at https://www.har.com.

    The information published and disseminated to the HAR Multiple Listing Services is communicated verbatim, without change by Multiple Listing Services, as filed by MLS participants.

    The MLS does not verify the information provided and disclaims any responsibility for its accuracy. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Monthly sales figures reported since November 1998 includes a statistical estimation to account for late entries. Twelve-month totals may vary from actual end-of-year figures. (Single-family detached homes were broken out separately in monthly figures beginning February 1988.)

    Founded in 1918, the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR) is a 26,000-member organization of real estate professionals engaged in every aspect of the industry, including residential and commercial sales and leasing, appraisal, property management and counseling. It is the largest individual dues-paying membership trade association in Houston as well as the second largest local association/board of REALTORS® in the United States.