HCPR: Muted Third Quarter Follows Tax Credit

Hartford County residential sales fell significantly in the third quarter of 2010 versus the third quarter of 2009 as buyers took a breather following the June expiration of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. Median prices rose modestly over the year-previous quarter, while another measure of pricing, the median price per square foot, fell a comparable amount. Most noteworthy was the change in the mix of homes that sold as the Tax Credit phased out

Where is the Real Estate Market Going?

The question we get more than anything else is, “Where is the real estate market going?” We try to answer with a quick recap of the current situation, and maybe some thoughts on the near future, but that’s often not enough for the questioner. They want to know the long-term direction of the real estate market. They understand that we can’t predict the future, but they ask anyway. The real answer is that nobody knows,

Friday the 13th

The other day we were talking about our current pending deals, and noted that we both have closings scheduled for mid August. Closing in the middle of the month is pretty common, but we discovered that our two deals have something in common. Neither us, nor our clients, wanted to close on Friday the 13th. Friday is the most common day for real estate closings in Hartford County. In looking at data for over 30,000

HCPR: Soaring Sales in Second Quarter

Sales in Hartford County soared in the second quarter of 2010 versus the second quarter of 2009 thanks to the Federal Home Buyer Tax Credit. Median prices were up modestly over the year-previous quarter. Median days on market fell meaningfully, reflecting the frenzied pace of the County’s residential real estate market as the tax credit overlapped with the traditional spring market. Single-Family Homes Second quarter sales of single-family homes increased 23.8% compared to the year-earlier

An Economist's View of the National Housing Market

Economists are divided as to the direction of the national housing market. Some believe that the environment is stabilizing and that prices will increase from here. Others see further price decreases once the government support fades away. Barry Ritholz is one economist we follow regularly, through his posts on The Big Picture blog. Right now, he has a strong negative view on the future of the US housing markets. One of yesterday’s posts broke down