The housing market continued its extraordinary half-year run of high activity, with November 2020 home sales up almost 20 percent over November 2019—establishing a new high for the month in the 13-year history of the report.
November did experience the normal seasonal decline from October, with home sales decreasing 14.5 percent month-to-month, but that drop was in line with the 12 percent average of the past five years. In fact, November 2020 broke several records for the RE/MAX National Housing Report, and inventory reached its lowest point since the report debuted in 2008.
In addition to home sales that eclipsed the previous high for November, set in 2017, new November records reflecting averages across 52 U.S. markets included:
– The median sales price of $292,000 was up 13.8 percent from November 2019
– Days on market was a mere 36—down nearly two weeks from last year’s 49
– Months supply of inventory totaled 1.8—only slightly more than the report record low of 1.7 set in August
“The nearly 20 percent year-over-year gain in sales is another sign of the housing market’s enduring strength and appeal. People are on the move, and we anticipate buyer demand staying high into next year,” said Adam Contos, CEO of RE/MAX Holdings, Inc. “The low interest rate environment is driving opportunities for both buyers and sellers, so the upticks in price aren’t slowing things down much at all. The primary headwind continues to be the severe lack of available inventory across the country.”
“Eventually, generational factors, lifestyle choices and workplace flexibility should bring more sellers into the market, addressing the current imbalance. If that happens next year, 2021 could be one for the record books.”
Home sales continued to far outnumber new listings. November was the fourth consecutive month of 2020 to set a new report record for fewest listings.
Highlights and the local markets leading various metrics include:
Closed Transactions
Of the 52 metro areas surveyed in November 2020, the overall average number of home sales is up 19.7 percent compared to November 2019, and down 14.5 percent compared to October 2020. Leading the year-over-year sales percentage increases were Little Rock, Ark., at +36.5 percent, Chicago, Ill., at +32.3 percent, and Hartford, Conn., at +30.6 percent.
Median Sales Price – Median of 52 Metro Median Prices
In November 2020, the median of all 52 metro median sales prices was $292,000, up 13.8 percent from November 2019 and down 1.0 percent from October 2020. No metro area saw a year-over-year decrease in median sales price. Thirty-nine metro areas increased year-over-year by double-digit percentages, led by Augusta, Maine at +26.4 percent, Tulsa, Okla., at +20.7 percent, and Boise, Ida., at +19.2 percent.
Days on Market – Average of 52 Metro Areas
The average days on market for homes sold in November 2020 was 36, down 13 days from the average in November 2019, and down one day from the average in October 2020. The metro areas with the lowest days on market were Omaha, Neb., at 16, Cincinnati, Ohio at 18, and Boise, Ida., at 19. The highest days on market averages were in Des Moines, Iowa at 91, Miami, Fla., at 83, and New York, N.Y., at 74. Days on market is the number of days between when a home is first listed in an MLS and a sales contract is signed.
Months Supply of Inventory – Average of 52 Metro Areas
The number of homes for sale in November 2020 was down 31.8 percent from November 2019 and down 13.3 percent from October 2020. Based on the rate of home sales in November 2020, the months supply of inventory was flat at 1.8 compared to October 2020, and decreased compared to 3.7 in November 2019. In November 2020, of the 52 metro areas surveyed, only two metro areas reported a months supply at or over six, which is typically considered a buyer’s market. Those markets were Miami, Fla., at 6.7 and Indianapolis, Ind., at 6.2. The markets with the lowest months supply of inventory were Boise, Ida., at 0.6, and a three-way tie among Albuquerque, N.M., Denver, Colo., and Manchester, N.H., at 0.8.
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