Published by REALTOR.com | February 21, 2023
Spring is around the corner, and the signs are pointing to a pickup in sales on the horizon.
Existing-home sales continued to ease in January, marking a yearlong stretch of declines coming off pandemic-fueled highs. But median home prices still are rising.
Total existing-home sales—completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condos and co-ops—decreased 0.7% in January compared to December 2022, the National Association of REALTORS® reported Tuesday. Home sales are down nearly 37% compared to a year earlier (at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4 million in January).
But as mortgage rates stabilize, economists are hopeful for a turnaround in sales activity for the housing market heading into spring.
“Home sales are bottoming out. Prices vary depending on a market’s affordability, with lower-priced regions witnessing modest growth and more expensive regions experiencing declines.”
—Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist
Overall, the median existing-home sales price nationwide rose 1.3% compared to a year ago, reaching $359,000, NAR reports. Home prices climbed in three out of the four major regions of the U.S., only falling in the West last month.
The supply of homes for sale continues to be tight in most markets across the country, helping to keep home prices higher. Still, total housing inventory rose 2.1% in January month-over-month and is up by 15.3% compared to a year ago. Unsold inventory remains at a brisk, 2.9-month supply at the current sales pace.
“Inventory remains low, but buyers are beginning to have better negotiating power,” Yun says. “Homes sitting on the market for more than 60 days can be purchased for around 10% less than the original list price.”
