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Single-family home sales down from February 2019 as condo sales spike.

PEABODY, March 25, 2020 – The median sale price for both single-family homes and condominiums increased last month across Massachusetts, achieving all-time highs for the month of February, according to a new report from The Warren Group, a leading provider of real estate and transaction data.

Last month, there were 2,673 single-family homes sales in Massachusetts, a 5.4 percent decrease from February 2019 when there were 2,824 transactions. Meanwhile, the median single-family sale price increased 4.1 percent on a year-over-year basis to $380,000, up from $365,000 in February 2019 and marking an all-time high for the month of February. Year-to-date, there have been 6,181 single-family home sales – a 1.9 percent increase from the first two months of 2019 – with a median sale price of $385,500 – a 5.3 percent increase on the same basis.

“The median single-family home price continued its record-setting streak in February,” said Tim Warren, CEO of The Warren Group. “The last time the median sale price declined on a year-over-year basis in any month was in March 2016. However, with economic uncertainty perpetuated by COVID-19 and Massachusetts essentially at a standstill, we can expect the number of single-family home sales and the median sale price to take a hit in the coming months.”

There were 1,402 condominiums sales in February, compared to 1,234 sales in February 2019 – a 13.6 percent increase, and the most transactions recorded for the month of February since 2007. Meanwhile, the median sale price spiked 16.6 percent to $400,000. This marked the second month in a row that the median statewide condo price surpassed the median single-family home price. Year-to-date, there have been 2,924 condo sales – a 17.8 percent increase from the first two months of 2019 – with a median sale price of $400,000 – a 15.6 percent increase on the same basis.

“This marked the second consecutive month that the median statewide condo price was higher than the median single-family home price,” Warren continued. “Historically, this has been a rarity in the Massachusetts housing market, but perhaps with a thriving condo market in the Greater Boston area, this could be the new normal.”

ABOUT THE WARREN GROUP

Customers use The Warren Group to identify new business opportunities through access to comprehensive real estate and mortgage data, analytics, and industry news coverage. The Warren Group was established in 1872 and is now in its fourth generation of family ownership and management. It is the publisher of Banker & Tradesman, The Commercial Record, and The Registry Review. For more information visit www.thewarrengroup.com.