General Index 

Marlborough, Massachusetts:  Very few lender owned properties in Marlborough, much lower than in the past, and should provide a good spring board for prices this spring.  The report looks like a move sideways from the previous report, but I looked at the pendings (not shown here) and we could see a real tightening in the next report, as approximately 17 (about 18%) of the inventory is already sold.  With the buyer demand out there, but hitting slowly, not in a rush like last year, buyers have been able to get the prices they want.  I'm not sure how that will play out if they pick up the pace.  Add Marlborough to the other towns we've already marked as competitive for buyers alongside Ashland, Hopkinton, Holliston, and Hudson. 

Show Me Marlborough, MA Homes for Sale

ALL REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL!  No matter if your town is HOT or COLD, a real estate agent who knows the market can help you position your home for sale. (That would be me.) For more detailed reporting on home selling, including breakdowns by price range, contact Matt Heisler of Heisler & Mattson directly!

Hudson, MA, Massachusetts:  Selection continues to dwindle in Hudson.  With just two foreclosure properties, it's hard to see any shadow inventory in Hudson.  Subtracting the 7 short-sales, there are just 39 properties that can be bought quickly without lender approval.  The rest of the data is pretty much a sideways move, but sellers should be pleased at their traffic.  Buyers will be bumping in to each other in Hudson.

ALL REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL!  No matter if your town is HOT or COLD, a real estate agent who knows the market can help you position your home for sale. (That would be me.) For more detailed reporting on home selling, including breakdowns by price range, contact Matt Heisler of Heisler & Mattson directly!

• Hopkinton has 53  homes (vs. 56 in the last report) listed as Active
• Hopkinton had 70  houses sold in the last 6 months, and 33  homes sold in the last 3 months
• Hopkinton has an Average Market Time of 118 days for SOLD  homes
• Hopkinton has an Average Market Time of 132 days for ACTIVE homes
• Hopkinton has an Average Sold Price of $ 493,331 for sold homes
• Hopkinton has 3 properties advertised as lender owned (typically foreclosure) 
• Hopkinton has 6 properties advertised as short-sales 

Analysis of Housing Market Statistics

This is an update of an earlier post.

Earlier post:

Well, the tax credit has ended.  There are basically two schools of thought on this:

A) The tax credit got "buyers off the fence" and began to gobble up inventory, setting the stage for, or inducing, price appreciation in many markets which will both "heal" those markets, improving psychology and the finances of the banks who are underwriting loans in those areas.

B) It will delay a "true bottom" where home sales and values go far beyond their intrinsic levels, which in turn sparks a "true recovery".  At the end of the day, it will help the market little, or not at all, and we will all have this enormous tax burden to pay off, with little return to show for it.

Most of the brokers I talk to are at least a little concerned that the May and June markets (typically our best!) will fall flat.  Some are Very Concerned, but I'm comfortable putting them in a small minority.  Myself, I do expect a lull, but with prices rising in my area for a year - and inventories far too low for most buyers, I think a small, but important price advance will probably continue.  I think that with most home sellers since 2003 under water from their purchase price (yes, seven years of sales, and those in 2003 are at break even), many sellers will stay put - keeping inventories tight, and putting pressure on prices.  Further, an improving job market, loosening credit, and healthier bank balance sheets all point to a better situation for buyers than we had the last 12 months.  We'll see, but I'm optimistic that their will only be a little lull.  I certainly hope it wasn't all tax money down the drain for nothing.

UPDATE

March--2011 Update:  Well, the May and June markets of 2010 were good in Metrowest. Even July had solid activity, but it really wound down after that, with October, November and December really not that exciting. That was surprising,  as rates wound down in the fall, touching some really good levels for buyers, but the buyers remained patient.  I think there's lots of evidence that lack of quality housing is holding things up - there's simply very little appetite for risk out there (but it has been getting better in 2011), but overall, we need more push from the buyers to have all the homeowners out there see some equity gains.  As far as prices, they were up last spring, for sure, but fell back down in the fall, perhaps to new lows, but certainly killing any gain on an annual basis.

Thoughts?

Matt

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

Question about the terms used here?  Check my Explanation for Massachusetts Home Statistics. All statistics are for Single Family Homes.

Show Me Holliston, MA Homes for Sale

ALL REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL!  No matter if your town is HOT or COLD, a real estate agent who knows the market can help you position your home for sale. (That would be me.) For more detailed reporting on home selling, including breakdowns by price range, contact Matt Heisler of Heisler & Mattson directly!

Grafton, Massachusetts:  Grafton has seen the inventory from last year bump back on, and sales have failed to keep pace.  I did note that the momentum had jumped, (the last three months jumped 10 units), but it will take several months of gains to deal with the extra inventory.  There's new construction appearing in Grafton as well.  Buyers should continue to find ample selection and willing sellers.  Sellers should be aware the market is crowded, and should work with offers as much as possible when they come in.

Show Me Grafton, MA Homes for Sale

ALL REAL ESTATE IS LOCAL!  No matter if your town is HOT or COLD, a real estate agent who knows the market can help you position your home for sale. (That would be me.) For more detailed reporting on home selling, including breakdowns by price range, contact Matt Heisler of Heisler & Mattson directly!

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.

*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.