Real Estate News

Houston Housing Sales Heat Up With Pre-Summer Temperatures

March Brings in Record-Breaking Home Sales and Out-Performs the U.S. 

HOUSTON — (April 25, 2006) — March home sales in the greater Houston area reached near all-time record levels. Sales reported set a new record for the month and were the third highest level ever. Houston’s uniquely balanced market shows continued strength in homes sales and prices, while still providing an affordable market for home buyers.

As we enter the traditional peak home buying and selling season this summer, Houston stats are climbing along with our temperatures.

“You never want to claim good weather as the reason for anything—that is just tempting fate in Houston—but the early heat up in temperatures and the relatively few number of days with rain have definitely contributed to the early heat up in housing sales,” said Lorraine Abercrombie, HAR Chair and Marketing Director for Greenwood King Properties. “Almost all of the analysts and industry experts predicted that 2006 would be a very strong year but would not match last year’s amazing sales. So far, Houston is exceeding those expectations, and, if all the factors continue to line up, 2006 will be the best year ever for real estate in the region.”

Total property sales for the month totaled 8,015, which was a 22.4 percent increase over March 2005. Properties sold during the month reached a total of nearly $1.5 billion, a 32.4 percent increase compared to last year’s more than $1.1 billion in March sales. Additionally, the median home price for a single-family home reached $143,310, and the average home price rose to $193,640, both increases from last year of 5.4 and 8.5 percent, respectively.

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	Did You Know?
	A Reverse mortgage is also known as HECM Section 255: Home Equity Conversion Mortgages (Reverse Mortgages, a.k.a. HECM) allows a borrower aged 62 and older to borrow against the equity in a property that has limited outstanding debt. A subject property under this program must be an existing one-to four-unit dwelling in which the mortgagor occupies one of the units. It may be a condo if in a FHA approved project. Manufactured homes are eligible if the home complies with outstanding FHA guidance.