Sales are slowing in Longmeadow

However, there was some good news this month....

• The number of Longmeadow home sales in the January - June 2009 period were significantly higher vs. the corresponding period in 2008 (74 vs. 64). See figure 1 below.
  
• The median sales price in May and June was at the highest level since the peak in October 2007 ($318,500 vs. $350,000) and the continuing trend this year appears to be up. See figure 2 below.

On the negative side...

• There appeared to be a resurgence in home sales during the first four months of 2009 that I wrote about in a posting in early May... possibly due to low mortgage rates... but home sales for the past two months (May/ June) were at the lowest levels in the past 4 years (see figure 1).
  
• The median sales price (average of past 6 months) showed an increase during the past two months to $318,500 but it is still 9.0% lower vs. the peak reached in October 2007 ($318,500 vs. $350,000)- (see figure 2).
  
• 15 out 29 (52%) homes in May/ June were sold at less than the official Town of Longmeadow assessed value (see figure 3). This is very similar to the trend for January - June 2009 with 39 out of 74 (53%) homes selling below the assessed value.
  

Figure 1- Home Sales, Longmeadow, MA
[click chart to enlarge]

Figure 2- Median Sales Price, Longmeadow, MA
[click chart to enlarge]

Figure 3- Sales Price vs. Assessment Value, Longmeadow, MA
[click chart to enlarge]

For the first 6 months of 2009, there were only 5 properties (out of 74 total, 6.8%) sold at prices > $500,000 although there are 27 properties (out of 114, 23.7%) currently listed with MLS. This is probably not surprising given the current difficulties in getting large mortgages.

Home sales in Longmeadow, Massachusetts in 2009 are on track to be higher than 2008 but the recent increase in mortgage interest rates may be slowing down this resurgence. However, it does appear that a bottom may be forming in the Longmeadow real estate market (as well as the rest of the US). This bottoming process combined with a economic recovery may lead to a more normally functioning real estate market in 2010. Let's hope so!

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