The RE/MAX National Housing Report shows August sales topping July by 2.8%, but finishing 0.84% below August 2016, which remains the best August in the report's 9-year history, the real estate broker reported Friday.
Houston, where Hurricane Harvey made landfall on August 25, already experienced a 21.3% drop in sales from July and a 27.5% decline year-over-year.
Inventory in the report's 54 markets declined 3.9% from July and 13.7% from a year ago, driving Days on Market to drop to 47 – the fastest listing-to-sale average for any August. The Months Supply of Inventory, while continuing to rebound from a May low of 2.6, settled at 3.1 months and set another report record for August.
"Overall, we're still seeing home prices rise year-over-year at just above historical averages -- even with slightly declining nationwide prices in August, which is an expected annual pattern," said Adam Contos, RE/MAX Co-CEO. "The data shows that home hunters continue to experience very limited inventory and increased competition, and home sellers are benefiting from quick sales for top dollar."
After hitting $239,950 in July, the median sales price dipped to $236,475 in August but still finished 5.4% higher year-over-year.
Of the 54 metro areas surveyed in August 2017, the overall average number of home sales increased 2.8% compared to July 2017 and decreased 0.84% compared to August 2016. Twenty-four of the 54 metro areas experienced an increase in sales year-over-year including, Wilmington/Dover, DE,+17.2%, Trenton, NJ, +13.8%, Honolulu, HI, +12%, Augusta, ME, +11.1% and Boise, ID, +9%.
In August 2017, the median of all 54 metro Median Sales Prices was $236,475, down 1.3% from July 2017 but up 5.4% from August 2016. Only three metro areas saw a year-over-year decrease in Median Sales Price or remained unchanged (Anchorage, AK, -1.5%, Augusta, ME, -1.4% and Hartford, CT, -1.4%). Nine metro areas increased year-over-year by double-digit percentages, with the largest increases seen in Cincinnati, OH, +14.5%, Las Vegas, NV, +13.7%, Boise, ID, +12.4%, Nashville, TN, +12.1% , San Francisco, CA, +11.5%, and Seattle, WA, +11.4%.
