July 15, 2011
By Scott Miller
To be honest, some of us weren’t even sure of what to expect
out of the June real estate numbers in Edgewood, MD! Last month, we were all
shocked by the drop that we saw in activity, and some even started worrying
that the market was experiencing a “double-dip recession’. More rational people
looked at the situation a little closer, and realized that we were comparing
apples to oranges- last May was the final month of the now infamous federal tax
credit for first time home buyers. People were scrambling to take advantage of
the incentive, thereby causing a spike in the numbers for that period. This
year, with rates still hovering below 5%, and prices as low as they are, it was
inevitable that we would see a stronger June.
The total inventory of homes was reduced by a whopping 27%,
going from 190 last year down to 138 this year. The number of homes that sold
spiked in a positive direction as well, with 25 having changed hands in June,
compared to only 16 a year ago. That was an increase of 56% year over year. The
median price of the homes that sold was $134,549, which was down by 21% from a
year prior. The median price of the homes that are currently active in the
Edgewood, MD real estate market is $134,900.
Despite the fact that the home sales were much stronger
during June than they were in May, the length of time that homes spent on the
market actually increased by an astonishing 73% to 123 days. This could be
attributed to a simple dip in activity during the pre-spring selling season,
which eventually warmed up in June. Another possible reason is the number of
foreclosures and short sales on the market. Of the 25 homes that transferred in
June, 10 were foreclosures and 4 were short sales, totaling a rather
significant 56%. These deals can sometimes take time to complete, so they may
have caused the local market some slight turbulence.
Overall, the trend that the sales figures seem to be moving
are definitely positive, and the conditions are still optimal for taking
advantage of the real estate market in Edgewood, MD.