Multiple Listing Service of the Houston Association of REALTORS® includes residential properties and new homes listed by 50,000 REALTORS®
Home sales and prices rose for another month in February
HOUSTON — (March 18, 2014) — Despite the lowest supply of homes for sale that the Houston housing market has ever seen, enough consumers purchased real estate in February to keep sales in positive territory for the 33rd straight month. That ever-shrinking housing inventory continues to push prices up in a basic display of supply and demand.
According to the latest monthly report prepared by the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR), home sales climbed 8.3 percent year-over-year, with February single-family home sales totaling 4,765. That represents a larger one-month volume of home sales than the market experienced in January, but is down from the average one-month volume recorded in 2013.
The supply of homes has held at 2.6 months of inventory since December, however that is down compared to the 3.6-month supply in February 2013 and dramatically lower than the national figure of 4.9 months of inventory.
The average price of a single-family home increased 12.5 percent year-over-year to $247,534. The median pricethe figure at which half the homes sold for more and half for lessrose 11.7 percent to $181,500. Both figures represent the highest prices for a February in Houston.The single-family home segments priced from $150,000 and above experienced sales growth in February, however both segments below the $150,000 price-point declined.
We continue to experience sales momentum from late 2013, but based on the diminished supply of homes in the Houston area and a slight decline in Februarys pending sales, we are likely to see the pace of sales slow down in the next month or so, said HAR Chair Chaille Ralph with Heritage Texas Properties. New home construction under way throughout our market should help meet the demand, and lease properties continue to give buyers other options until more homes are available for purchase.
Foreclosure property sales reported in the HAR Multiple Listing Service (MLS) continued to decline, dropping 44.0 percent compared to February 2013. Foreclosures now comprise 8.6 percent of all property sales, down from a 15.8 percent share a year earlier. The median price of foreclosures edged up 3.2 percent to $86,700.
February sales of all property types totaled 5,810, an 8.9-percent increase over the same month last year. Total dollar volume for properties sold rose 22.5 percent to $1.4 billion versus $1.1 billion a year earlier.
Houstons inventory of available homes has held steady at a 2.6-month supply since December 2013, but is down from the 3.6 months of supply one year ago. The inventory of single-family homes across the U.S. currently stands at 4.9 months, according to the National Association of Realtors latest report.
CATEGORIES | FEBRUARY 2013 | FEBRUARY 2014 | CHANGE |
Total property sales | 5,333 | 5,810 | 8.9% |
Total dollar volume | $1,121,054,005 | $1,372,917,225 | 22.5% |
Total active listings | 33,361 | 27,798 | -16.7% |
Total pending sales | 3,877 | 3,777 | -2.6% |
Single-family home sales | 4,398 | 4,765 | 8.3% |
Single-family average sales price | $220,014 | $247,534 | 12.5% |
Single-family median sales price | $162,500 | $181,500 | 11.7% |
Months inventory* | 3.6 | 2.6 | -27.8% |
February sales of single-family homes in Houston totaled 4,765. That is up 8.3 percent from February 2013 and marks the 33rd consecutive monthly increase.
Home prices reached the highest levels ever recorded for a February in Houston. The single-family median price climbed 11.7 percent from last year to $181,500 and the average price jumped 12.5 percent year-over-year to $247,534.
Broken out by housing segment, February sales performed as follows:
HAR also breaks out the sales performance of existing single-family homes throughout the Houston market. In February 2014, existing home sales totaled 4,071, a 10.4 percent increase from the same month last year. The average sales price rose 13.6 percent year-over-year to $232,603 while the median sales price increased 13.3 percent to $170,000.
February sales of townhouses and condominiums rose 5.2 percent from one year earlier. A total of 447 units sold last month compared to 425 properties in February 2013. The average price was up 7.5 percent to $179,281 and the median price increased 6.5 percent to $140,000. Inventory dropped to a 2.6 months supply versus a 4.1 months supply in February 2013.
Houstons lease property market showed continued growth in February. Rentals of single-family homes jumped 19.2 percent compared to February 2013 while year-over-year townhouse/condominium rentals rose 4.3 percent. The average rent for a single-family home increased 5.2 percent to $1,590 and the average rent for a townhouse/condominium rose 6.1 percent to $1,481.