Friday, September 24, 2010

TEXAS HOME SALES DOWN, PRICES UP

TEXAS (Real Estate Center) – Newly released data from Texas Multiple Listing Services (MLS) show existing home sales are down from last year while average and median prices are up.

“Texas home sales peaked this year in May rather than the normal June-July period because of the expired tax credit stimulus,” said Real Estate Center Research Economist Dr. Jim Gaines.

“August 2010 sales were down 14 percent from August last year but were up 3.6 percent from dismal July figures, which were down 27 percent from the previous year.”

Gaines said average and median prices showed “remarkable strength” given the generally weaker market, increasing by 5.3 percent and 1.9 percent from last August, respectively.

“The higher average price reflects some improvement in the upper-end market, which has been significantly depressed the past couple of years,” he said. “The number of properties offered for sale declined in August, leaving month’s inventory effectively unchanged from July. However, the total number of properties on the market this year is 14 percent greater than in August 2009.”

While total listings were down from the previous month, the average months inventory of unsold homes at the current sales rate remained virtually unchanged at 7.9 months.

Here is how select Texas cities fared in August (data current as of Sept. 23, 2010):

Sales

Change from
Last Year

Median
Price
Change from
Last Year
Months'
Inventory
Amarillo247no change$130,300up 4%6.8
Austin1,670down 15%$196,500up 5%7.1
Corpus Christi317no change$148,500up 8%11.2
Dallas3,393down 19%$166,900up 5%7.2
El Paso437down 10%$137,300up 6%6.9
Fort Worth674down 14%$119,000up 1%7.3
Harlingen64down 25%$96,700up 3%26.2
Houston4,619down 16%$157,500down 1%8
Killeen-Fort Hood189down 28%$128,100up 1%7.8
Lubbock251down 13%$111,700down 3%7.4
Odessa86up 34%$150,000up 32%4.6
San Antonio1,646down 9%$157,800up 7%8.3
Tyler238down 15%$143,100up 10% 13.4
Wichita Falls130down 5%$96,000down 12% 8.4
Texas17,017down 14%$152,900up 1.9%7.9

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