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. 

Supply Continues to Shrink - Lowest New Listings in Fifteen Years

Rockville, MD – (July 10, 2012) – The following analysis of the Baltimore, MD Metro Area housing market has been prepared by RealEstate Business Intelligence (RBI), and is based on June 2012 MRIS housing data.

OVERVIEW

Median sale prices are on the rise throughout the Baltimore Metro Area, and metro-wide, have reached $250K for the first time in two years.  Despite the rising median prices, overall economic uncertainty could be a major factor in keeping many would-be sellers on the sidelines.  The quantity of active listings continues to drop, and the new listings entered in June are the lowest June-level since 1997.   The shrinking inventory of homes for sale in the region coupled with growing buyer activity is pushing prices up, and shortening the average days-on-market (down 14 days since June 2011).  Sale-to-original list price ratios have also narrowed (increasing 2.9 percentage points since June 2011), further evidence of a tightening market.  Detached homes are driving sales growth in the metro area; however the condo market posted the highest percentage growth of new contracts in June, and perhaps early evidence of a changing pattern.