Despite rising mortgage rates, the Houston real estate market showed remarkable resilience in May. Homes continue to sell very quickly and home prices continue to rise.  Thanks to a rise in new listings, homebuyers are finding more options as inventory levels hit a high for 2022.

According to the latest report from the Houston Association of Realtors (HAR), 9,627 single-family homes sold in May compared to 9,714 a year earlier for a .09 percent decline. This marks the 2nd consecutive month of year-over-year decline in single family home sales.  On a year-to-date basis, however, the market is running 4.4 percent ahead of 2021’s record-setting volume.

The $500,000 to $1 million housing segment was the biggest performer last month with a 38.3 percent year-over-year sales increase in single family home sales. That was followed by the luxury segment (homes priced at $1 million and above), which jumped 30.2 percent.

According to HAR, total active listings, or the total number of available properties, rose 14.9 percent to 24,301. May sales of all property types totaled 11,980, down 1% compared to May of last year. As a result, the absorption rate for May 2021 was 49%. That means almost half of all homes listed went under contract in May. That’s still higher than any May over the past 10 years.

Homes moved a little faster in May. Days on Market (DOM), or the number of days it took the average home to sell fell to 19 days in May. Single-family homes inventory rose to 1.6 months. Housing inventory nationally stands at a 2.2-months supply, according to the latest report from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Over the next few months, we expect home sales to slightly moderate. However, even as mortgage rates increase, we do expect that inventory levels will continue to be relatively low.  A 6.0-months supply is traditionally considered a “balanced market” (or not a buyer’s market, nor a seller’s market). We have a long way to go to hit that point. Although the rate of price growth might start to decline, we do expect home prices to increase in real numbers over the coming months.

Be prepared. Make sure you have all of the information you need to make an informed decision on when to start house hunting and buying. Contacting a Norhill Realtor is a good place to start. One of our experienced agents can talk you through the current state of the market in the neighborhoods you care about and get you connected with an experienced, professional mortgage broker so you can decide on the timing that works for you.

Norhill Realty provides expert real estate services to residential buyers and sellers in Houston and surrounding communities. Contact us today for more information on Houston real estate and for professional assistance navigating this sometimes complex home market.

 

Find and click your neighborhood below to find the latest listings for these great Houston neighborhoods.
Afton Oaks / Highland Village
Bellaire
Briargrove
Briargrove Park / Walnut Bend
Camp Logan / Glen Cove
Cottage Grove
Downtown
EADO / Eastwood
East Washington / Sawyer Heights
Garden Oaks
Houston Heights
Knollwood / Woodside
Memorial West
Meyerland Area
Midtown
Montrose
Oak Forest East
Mangum Manor / Oak Forest West
Rice Military / Washington Corridor
River Oaks Shopping Area
Riverside Terrace
Shady Acres
Shepherd Plaza Park
Spring Branch
Timbergrove / Lazybrook
University Place and Museum Park
Westbury / Maplewood / Brays Oaks
West University / Southside
Willow Meadows / Willowbend

 

Norhill Realty and the MLS does not verify the information provided and disclaims any responsibility for its accuracy. All data is preliminary and subject to change. Twelve-month totals may vary from actual end-of-year figures, due to individual changes to MLS records. This data is for informational purposes only and should not be the sole piece of data used in the evaluation of a buy or sell decision. Consult with one of our Realtors to evaluate any particular property so you can determine how the market relates to that property.