Persistent declines in active and new listings continue; Low inventory keeping prices above the 10-year average despite cooling demand

OVERVIEW

Activity has cooled in the Washington DC metro housing market as we end September, following typical seasonal market patterns. Closed sales, new pending contracts, and median prices all declined from August, however these indicators remain above September 2011 levels, and in many cases are at multi-year September highs, providing evidence of a stronger market. The median price is the highest September median price in...

Active listings shrink, drop below 12,000 for only the 2^nd time since 2006

OVERVIEW

The Baltimore Metro housing market continues to exhibit signs of strength compared with last year.  Both sales and new contracts had double-digit growth from August 2011.  The median sale price for the metro area also rose from last year albeit slightly.  If demand persists into the fall, the shrinking inventory of homes for sale will continue to play a major role in the market.  Currently, the low supply of active listings is putting upward pressure on prices, decreasing days-on-market (down 17 days from last year), and increasing the average sale-to-list price ratio (up 3.5 points from last year).  Many people are likely keeping their homes off the market due to continued economic uncertainty, preferring to wait it out.