April YTD 2006 – Single-family home sales in Houston

YTD Review of the Market for Houston and surrounding areas:

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Houston Overall Statistics April YTD 2006

>Single-family home sales are up by 13% in sold units over April YTD 2005 sales with 20,543 MLS recorded sold units,
>Dollar volume sold in MLS through April YTD 2006 is $3,915,464,492 which is a 20% increase in dollar volume sold over last year.
>Average sales price YTD is $190,598 or 6% greater than this time last year.
>Active listings are down by 2% with 29,080 single-family homes on the market.
>Contracts written, which represent April YTD buyer demand in Houston are up 10% over this time last year with 15,667 homes that have gone under contract.
>Average sales price per square foot is $85, which is 5% greater than last year.
>Days on the Market, a statistic that is good if it is declining has gone down by 5% since last year and the average time to sell a home in Houston is 83 days.
>With sales and contracts pending on the upswing in the first four months of the year, and active listings and days on the market on the decline, home price appreciation, even in single digit denominations, is a high probability.

Atascocita – Area 1

>Single-family home sales in the Atascocita area have risen 29.34% over April YTD 2005. The market has experienced 820 home sales since the beginning of the year and last year there were 634 during the same time frame.
>Contracts initiated this first 4 months of the year are 25% greater than those found a year ago. There have been 684 units go under contract and last year there were 548. This statistic indicates that the market will continue to strengthen as summer approaches.
>Listings are also up by 13% and there are currently 1,211 units on the market as compared to 1,074 last year.
>Average sales price YTD has risen 11% and currently stands at $164,450, and last year the average sales price was $148,260.
>The Atascocita area currently has 6 months of inventory, an improvement from last years 6.2 months. Months of inventory is an indicator of the status of the market. Currently, if no new listings came on the market, it would take 6 months to deplete the current supply, whereas last year, it would have taken 6.2 months. A market with 6 months or less inventory is categorized as a sellers’ market.
>In April 2006, the Atascocita area was #9 on the Houston Hotness Index because 16.1% of its’ entire inventory went under contract during that one month. It is evident from the data that Atascocita is one of the best market sectors in Greater Houston in terms of buyer demand and that is good news for sellers in the area.


Bear Creek – Area 8

· Sales have experienced a healthy 10% increase in the Bear Creek Market area over April YTD 2005 with 847 MLS recorded home sales!
· Listings are DOWN in the Bear Creek Market area by 8.85% over this time last year with 1,092 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are up by 9 units with 643 homes receiving contracts. April YTD 2005 contracts written registered at 634.
· Average sales price is also higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $165,060, an increase of 6.48%. Last year, average sales price was $155,031.
· The Bear Creek Market area currently has 4.7 months of inventory, which is a considerable improvement in supply. Last year, the Bear Creek Market had 5.5 months of inventory. This is a sellers’ market and one of the best times ever in Houston history to sell a home in Bear Creek!
· In April 2006, 14.8% of all listings in the Bear Creek area received a contract during the month, according to the Houston Hotness Index!




Clear Lake Area 7

>Clear Lake single-family home sales have increased by 16 units over April YTD 2005 with 680 homes sold in 2006 as compared to 664 last year.
>Contracts written and pending to close year-to-date are 5 units behind last year for a total of 505 MLS recorded pending sales.
>Homes listed and on the market in Clear Lake are up by 6% from this time last year with 808 single-family homes on the market today as compared to 763 last year. >Clear Lake’s Average sales price is up by .57% and currently stands at $170,340, as compared to $169,369 last year during the same time frame.
>Days on the market register at 74, which represents one less day than it took to sell a home last year.
>Clear Lake was ranked #7 on the April Houston Hotness Index because 16.3% of all its’ listings went under contract during that one month!

North Area 12
· Sales in the North Market area in April YTD 2006 have increased by 11 units or 2% in comparison to 2005. The area recorded 537 closed single-family home sales and in 2005 experienced 526.
· Listings are down in the North Market area by 2.35% over this time last year with 788 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are down by 5.62% with 420 homes receiving contracts in April YTD 2006. Contracts pending April YTD of last year registered at 445.
· Average sales price is slightly higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $119,937 representing an increase of 3.47%. Last year, average sales price was $115,916.
· The North Market area currently has 5.4 months of inventory. Last year, the North Market had 5.8 months of inventory, an improvement in supply.
· A home seller in the North Market can expect to sell a comparably priced home for an average of 98% of the list price. The average price per square foot in the North area is $60.


Northwest 13

· Sales have increased dramatically in the Northwest Market area in comparison to April YTD 2005 by 17.27% with 998 MLS recorded home sales!
· Listings are DOWN in the Northwest area by 13% over this time last year with 1,422 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are up by 7% with 809 homes receiving contracts YTD through April 2006. Contracts pending April YTD last year registered at 758.
· Average sales price is also higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $171,639 representing an increase of 5.23% Last year, average sales price was $171,639.
· The Northwest Market area currently has 5.1 months of inventory. Last year, the Northwest Market had 6.8 months of inventory, which is a considerable improvement in supply.
· In April 2006, 14.3% of all listings in the Northwest area received a contract during the month, according to the Houston Hotness Index!

Far Northwest 14

· Sales have increased dramatically in the Far Northwest area over April YTD 2005 by 24.31% with 588 MLS recorded home sales!
· Listings are DOWN in the Far Northwest Market area by 8.64% over this time last year with 761 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are up by 19.65% with 475 homes receiving contracts YTD through April 2006. Contracts pending April YTD last year registered at 397.
· Average sales price is also higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $191,236 representing an increase of 9% Last year, average sales price was $175,083.
· The area currently has 5 months of inventory. Last year, the Far Northwest Market had 6.8 months of inventory, which is a considerable improvement in supply.
· In April 2006, 15.5% of all listings in the area received a contract during the month, according to the Houston Hotness Index!



Conroe – Montgomery County NW – Area 39

· Sales are up by 24 in NW Montgomery County from this time last year over April YTD 2006 with 441 homes sales recorded in MLS as compared to 356 last year.
· Contracts written year-to-date are up 26.72% with 332 recorded pending contracts year-to-date as opposed to 262 last year.
· Listings are up over this time last year by 1.2%. There are currently 925 homes on the market in the area.
· Average sales price is up over last year [1.82%] and currently stands at $206,956.
· The area has 7.7 months of inventory as compared to 9.2 last year, which is an improvement in home supply. The average price per square foot is $90 and days to sell a home are 109, which is down from last years’ 123.
· The Houston Hotness Index indicates that the Conroe area sold 9.3% of its supply in the month of April.

East / Wood forest Area 2

· Sales are up in the East by 6% in April YTD 2006 with 774 homes sales recorded in MLS as compared to 730 last year.
· Contracts written year-to-date are down slightly by 1.51% or a total of 654 units recorded in MLS as pending contracts in April YTD 2006 as opposed to 664 last year.
· Listings are up over this time last year by 26 units or 2.48%. There are currently 1,073 homes on the market in the area.
· Average sales price is up over last year [3.07%] and currently stands at $97,633.
· The area has 5.5 months of inventory, the same as last year. The average price per square foot is $59 and days on market to sell a home are 85, which is down from last years’ 81.



Fort Bend Sugar Land Z 29

> Sugar Land has experienced a 4% increase in single-family home sales over April YTD 2005 with 568 home sales as compared to 547 home sales last year.
> Contracts written in Sugar Land are down by 66 units with 343 units pending to close.
> Sugar Land’s average sales price is up by 2% over April 2005 and now stands at $227,701 as compared to last year’s $223,065.
> Sugar Land homes on the market are down by 24% with 545 homes on the market as compared to last year’s 714.
> There are 3.2 months of inventory in Sugar Land as compared to last year’s 4.1 months of inventory, and that makes for a very healthy seller’s market. It takes 68 days on average to sell a home in Sugar Land, which is the same number of days that it took last year.
> Sugar Land area [Z29] ranked Number 12 on the Houston Hotness Index in April, with 15.5% of its listings receiving a contract during that one month.
> Sugar Land will continue to heat up throughout the summer! It is a great time to sell your home in Sugar Land due to its’ higher average sales price, higher, and far fewer homes on the market than found last year! The decline in the number of homes on the market is far greater than the decline in pending sales, so Sugar Land is well-positioned for a great summer market.

Fort Bend Missouri City Z 38

>Missouri City has experienced 57 more home sales in April YTD 2006 as it did in 2005 with 564 home sales recorded in the Houston Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service.
>Contracts written in Missouri City are up by 8 units in comparison to April YTD 2005 and now records 426 units YTD recorded as pending to close.
>Missouri City’s average sales price jumped up 11% over year-to-date April 2005 and now stands at $170,645 as compared to last year’s $149,195.
>Missouri City homes on the market are up by 8% with 816 homes on the market as compared to last year’s 759.
>There are 5.5 months of inventory in Missouri City as compared to last year’s 5.2, and that still makes a healthy seller’s market. It takes 82 days on average to sell a home in Missouri City whereas last year, it took 84.
>According to the April Houston Hotness Index, the Missouri City area [Z38] had 12.8% of all listings receive contracts during the month the month of April.
>Missouri City’s increase in contracts written YTD through April, and its’ higher average sales price over last year, you can expect the market to outpace last year’s market even though last year was a very good year.

Fort Bend West Area 37

>Single family home sales in the West Fort Bend area are up by 11% over April YTD 2005, with 612 recorded home sales YTD.
>Contracts initiated April YTD 2006 are even with last years’ contract initiated with 440 homes pended during this year-to-date and last.
>Listings are down by 5% in the Fort Bend West area with 820 listings currently on the market in comparison to 861 last year.
>Average sales price for the Fort Bend West area has risen by 6% over April YTD 2005 and is currently $174,214.
>The Fort Bend West area currently has 4.7 Months of Inventory, meaning if no other listings were taken, it would take 4.7 months to deplete the current supply of homes. Last year, there was 6.2 months of inventory, so the speed of sales and supply of inventory is far more in synchronization with a seller’s market.
>According to the MLS Houston Hotness Index for April, Fort Bend West had 13.5% of its inventory go under contract during the month. The list price/sales price ratio of homes in the area is 98% [meaning that on average, a seller could expect a reasonably priced home to sell for 98% of the list price]. Average price per square foot in the area is $73.

Fort Bend Southwest Area 30

> Single family home sales in the Southwest Fort Bend area are up by 12% over April YTD 2005, with 402 recorded home sales YTD.
> Contracts initiated April YTD 2006 are also down by 5%, or 276 total units.
> Listings are down by 8% in the Fort Bend Southwest area with 557 listings currently on the market in comparison to 605 last year.
> Average sales price for the Fort Bend Southwest area is up by 4% over April YTD 2005 and is currently $191,102.
> The Fort Bend Southwest area currently has 5.1 Months of Inventory, meaning if no other listings were taken, it would take 5.1 months to deplete the current supply of homes. Last year, there were 6.1 months of inventory, so the speed of sales and dwindling supply of inventory are the ingredients of a seller’s market.
> According to the MLS Houston Hotness Index for April, Fort Bend Southwest had 8% of all inventory go under contract during the month of April.
> The list price/sales price ratio of homes in the area is 97% [meaning a seller could expect a reasonably priced home to sell for 97% of the list price]. Average price per square foot in the area is $76.

Katy / Cinco Ranch Area 36
• The Katy/Cinco Ranch Area was Number 1 on the Houston Hotness Index for April 2006! 19% of all active listings went under contract during that one month.
• The area has experienced 810 homes sales YTD or a 17.22% increase over April YTD 2005.
• There has been a 7.68% increase in average sales price, which currently stands at $223,745.
• The Katy / Cinco Ranch area has experienced a 3% increase in pending sales for a total of 601 YTD.
• There is a shortage of homes on the market as the area experienced a 25% decline in listings. There are currently 810 homes on the market.
• The market has 3.2 months supply of inventory, which indicates an appreciating market, as opposed to 5.2 months of inventory last year.
• Real estate markets don’t get much better than this in Houston!

Galveston County Area 33

> Single-family home sales in Galveston County were up 17.5% April YTD 2006 over the previous year during the same time frame with 1,196 home sales recorded in the Houston MLS year to date. There were 1,018 closed home sales last year during the same time frame.
> Pending contracts recorded April YTD 2006 were up by 12% compared to last year. Pending units recorded year-to-date currently stand at 878 units whereas last year, pending units were 784.
> Galveston Homes on the Market reached 2,120 units in April 2006 and are up by 31.5% over last year, where inventory was 1,612.
> Galveston County’s average sales price is $179,767 and that figure is up by 11% over last year.
> Galveston County currently has 7 months of inventory. Last year, Months of inventory was 5.9. Days on the market [DOM] to sell a home in Galveston County is currently 82 and that is less than last year’s 89 DOM.
> While Galveston County has experienced a great market, a 31.5% rise in inventory with a 17% increase in sales, indicates that listings should be precision priced at its current 96% list price/sales price ratio or higher.

Hempstead East Area 10

> Single-family home sales are up by only 27 units in the East Hempstead area over April YTD 2005 with 776 home sales recorded in MLS year to date. There were 749 single-family home sales last year during the same time frame.
> Pending contracts displayed an increase over April 2005 by 8.47%. Pending units recorded year-to-date currently stand at 602 whereas last year, pending units were at 555.
> Hempstead East Homes on the Market are down by 14% over last year. There are currently 1,023 homes on the market as compared to 1,187 last year.
> The average sales price is $178,770 and that figure is just slightly higher than last year’s $170,836.
> The area is mirroring a seller’s market with 4.6 months of inventory. Last year, Months of inventory was still indicative of a sellers’ market with 5.5 months of inventory. Days on the market to sell a home in the Hempstead East area are currently 88, and last year, it was 92.
> In April 2006, the Hempstead East area was #5 on the Houston Hotness Index because 3.6% of all listings went under contract during the month.


Kingwood Area 32

> Single-family home sales are up in Kingwood over April 2005 by 79 units or 25% with 391 home sales recorded in MLS year to date compared to 12 closed last year during the same time frame.
> Pending contracts really displayed an increase over April YTD 2005 by experiencing a 34% increase in April YTD 2006. Pending units recorded year-to-date currently stand at 315 whereas last year, pending units were at 234.
> Kingwood Homes on the Market are down by 23.42% over last year. There are currently 435 homes on the market in Kingwood as compared to 568 last year.
> Kingwood average sales price is $197,300 and that figure is up by 4.25% over last year.
> Kingwood represents a seller’s market with 3.9 months of inventory. Last year, Months of inventory were 6. Days on the market to sell a home in Kingwood are currently at 75 days, and last year, it was 81.
> In April YTD 2006, Kingwood was #2 on the Houston Hotness Index because 18.9% of all listings went under contract during that one month.

Southwest Inner Loop Z 17

> Single-family home sales increased in the Inner Loop from April YTD 2005 by 10 units with 353 homes sales recorded in Houston MLS April YTD 2006.
> Pending contracts, which represent buyer demand year-to-date, has experienced an increase over last year of 9 units. Pending contracts currently stand at 187 pending sales and last year, it experienced 178 pending contracts.
> Listings have declined from this time last year by 6% and the current inventory stands at 457 homes on the market.
> Average sales price has risen by 8.2% since this time last year and average sales price is currently $563,253.
> The average price per square foot in the SW Inner Loop is $192 and last year the average was $182.
> Homes listed in the SW Inner Loop can expect to net 98% of the list price on average and sell on average after 83 days on the market.

Spring Branch Area 24

> Single-family home sales are up in the Spring Branch area by 23.46%! There were 300 home sales April YTD 2006 and during the same time frame last year, there were 243.
> Contracts initiated during the April YTD 2006 showed similar buoyancy with a 30% increase over last year during the same time frame. There were 213 contracts initiated last year and 164 this year. The market shows trends of continuing demand for the Spring and Summer.
> With the increased demand for single-family housing in the Spring Branch area, it is not surprising that listings have declined by 11.5% from this time last year. There are currently 394 active listings whereas last year, there were 445.
> The average sales price is up over this time last year by 11%. The current average sales price is $200,544 and last year it was $181,488.
> There are currently 4.9 months of inventory in the Spring Branch area, meaning that if no new listings came available on the market, it would take 4.9 months to sell the current supply. This represents a market far more favorable to a seller than in any other time frame, especially in light of the fact that last year the market had 6 months of supply.
> A home priced comparably in the market can expect to sell for an average of 97% of the list price. Homes sold year-to-date have sold for an average of $98 per square foot.
> The Spring Branch area ranked 16th on the Houston Hotness Index for the month of April because 15.4% of all listings went under contract during that one month.

Tomball Area 35

> Single-family home sales have increased in Tomball from April YTD 2005 by 75 units with 409 homes sales recorded April YTD 2006.
> Pending contracts, which represent buyer demand year-to-date, has experienced an increase of 52 units. Pending contracts currently stand at 337 pending sales and last year, it experienced 285 pending contracts. This represents an increase of 18.25%.
> Listings have declined from this time last year by 2% and the current inventory stands at 621 homes on the market.
> Average sales price has risen by 5.72% since this time last year and is currently $187,232.
> The average price per square foot in the Tomball area is $75 and last year the average was $71.
> Homes listed in the Tomball area can expect to net 97% of the list price on average and sell on average after 92 days on the market.
> The Tomball market is increasing in sales and tightening in supply of homes. With the average days on the market being reduced, from 106 days in April YTD 2005 to 92 in April YTD 2006, the pendulum has swung to a sellers’ market.

West Center Inner Loop Area 16

> Sales are up 20% in the West Center Inner Loop from April YTD 2005 over April YTD 2006 and currently 255 homes sold as compared to 212 last year.
> Contracts written, a better indicator of buyer demand, are up by 25.78% from this time last year with 161 homes receiving contracts year-to-date.
> Listings in the West Center Inner Loop currently stand at 470 units and that figure is up from April YTD 2005 by 30 units, or 6.82%.
> Average sales price is slightly down by 6.49% from this time last year and is currently $495,336.
> Homes in the West Center Inner Loop sell on the average of $208 a sq. ft and last year that figure was $198. Homes that sell in the area can expect to render an average of 95% of the selling price and take approximately 83 days to sell.
> There are 7.2 months of inventory in the area. The West Center Inner Loop Area is a balanced market where neither the buyer nor seller has a greater negotiation advantage.

The Woodlands Area 15


> Single-family home sales in The Woodlands are up by 160 units in April YTD 2006 over this time last year or 15% with 1208 home sales recorded.
> Contracts written, a better indicator of “future demand”, show 968 pending sales have been written year-to-date. That is a 102-unit increase over that which was written April YTD 2005.
> Listings in The Woodlands are down by 19% with 1,548 homes on the market in April YTD 2006 as compared to 1,913 in April YTD 2005.
> Average sales price in The Woodlands is $251,797, which is 5.32% greater than April YTD 2005, which averaged $239,085.
> The Woodlands has a 4.4-month supply of inventory, which indicates the area is a seller’s market. Days on the market to sell a home has declined in The Woodlands from this time last year from 83 DOM in April YTD 2005 to 95 DOM in April YTD 2006.

West Houston Area 31
> Single-family home sales in the West Houston area have increased by 16.61% in April YTD 2006 over April YTD 2005 and currently register 337 units sold.
> Contracts written are up from this time last year by 18.33% and there are currently 213 units recorded pending as opposed to 180 last year. This type of increase shows trends of a market that will continue to heat up during the summer months.
> Listings are down by 16.67% from this time last year with 450 homes on the market.
> Average sales price YTD in the West Houston area is $307,314 and that is 14.53% more than April YTD 2005 average sales price of $268,328.
> Homes in the West Houston area sell at an average sales price of $112 a sq. ft. A seller can expect to sell his home for an average of 98% of the list price and take an average of 102 days on the market to sell. Months of Inventory currently stand at 5.3, representing a seller’s market.
> West Houston registered on the Houston Hotness Index in April YTD because 9.4% of all current inventory went under contract during that one month.
> The increase YTD of contracts initiated, [representing buyer demand] with a concurrent decline of listings, indicate that if ever there was a time to sell a home in West Houston, it is now.
> Why? A seller could expect to derive more from the sale of their home in a market displaying high demand, rising sales prices and much less competition than found this time last year.


West Memorial Area 23

> Single-family home sales in the West Memorial area have increased by 2.12% in April YTD 2006 over April YTD 2005 and currently register 193 units sold.
> Contracts written are up from this time last year by 45% and there are currently 126 units recorded pending YTD as opposed to 87 last year. This type of steep increase is indicative of an even more hot market still to unfold.
> Listings are down by 22% from this time last year with 281 homes on the market.
Average sales price YTD in the West Memorial area is $628,799 and that is 1.65% more than April 2005 YTD average sales price of $618,601.
> Homes in the West Memorial area sell at an average sales price of $180 a sq. ft. A seller can expect to sell his home for an average of 96% of the list price and take an average of 85 days on the market to sell. Months of Inventory currently stand at 4.3, representing a seller’s market.
> West Memorial was registered on the Houston Hotness Index in April because 13.1% of all current inventory went under contract during that one month.
> The steep increase YTD of contracts initiated, [representing buyer demand] with a concurrent decline of listings, indicate that it is a seller’s market. If ever there was a time to sell a home in Memorial, it is now.
> Why? A seller could expect to derive more from the sale of their home in a market displaying high demand, rising sales prices and much less competition than found this time last year.