May YTD 2006 – Single-family home sales
YTD Review of the Market for Houston and surrounding areas:

Houston Overall Statistics May YTD 2006
> Single-family home sales are up by 13% in sold units over May YTD 2005 sales with 27,756 MLS recorded sold units,
> Dollar volume sold in MLS through May YTD 2006 is $5,382,779,961 which is a 20% increase in dollar volume sold over last year.
> Average sales price YTD is $193,932 or 7% greater than this time last year.
> Active listings are down by 3% with 29,355 single-family homes on the market.
> Contracts written, which represent May 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 27% over May YTD 2005. The market has experienced 1086 home sales since the beginning of the year and last year there were 854 units sold during the same time frame.
> Contracts initiated this first 5 months of the year are 24% greater than those found a year ago. There have been 891 units go under contract and last year there were 720. This statistic indicates that the market will continue to strengthen as summer approaches.
> Listings are also up by 11% and there are currently 1,223 units on the market as compared to 1,098 last year.
> Average sales price YTD has risen 10% and currently stands at $164,305 , and last year the average sales price was $149,630.
> The Atascocita area currently has 6 months of inventory, an improvement from last years 6.5 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 6.5 months. A market with 6 months or less of inventory is a sellers’ market.
> In May 2006, the Atascocita area was #19 on the Houston Hotness Index because 16.3% 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

· Single-family home sales have experienced a healthy 13% increase in the Bear Creek Market area over May YTD 2005 with 1170 MLS recorded home sales!
· Listings are DOWN in the Bear Creek Market area by 8% over this time last year with 1,106 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are up by 38 units with 845 homes receiving contracts. May YTD 2005 contracts written registered at 807.
· Average sales price is also higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $165,913, an increase of 6%. Last year, average sales price was $155,727.
· 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 May 2006, 17.4% of all listings in the Bear Creek area received a contract during the month, earning Bear Creek a ranking of #14 on the Houston Hotness Index!




Clear Lake Area 7

> Clear Lake single-family home sales have increased by 56 units over May YTD 2005 with 951 homes sold in 2006 as compared to 895 last year.
> Contracts written and pending to close year-to-date are 23 units ahead of last year for a total of 681 MLS recorded pending sales.
> Homes listed and on the market in Clear Lake are up by 6% from this time last year with 820 single-family homes on the market today as compared to 773 last year.
> Clear Lake’s Average sales price is DOWN by 2.54% and currently stands at $168,440, as compared to $172,836 last year during the same time frame.
> Days on the market register at 72, which represents one less day than it took to sell a home last year.
> Clear Lake was ranked #6 on the May Houston Hotness Index because 20.3% of all its’ listings went under contract during that one month!

North Area 12

· Sales in the North Market area in May YTD 2006 have increased by 22 units or 3% in comparison to 2005. The area recorded 537 closed single-family home sales and in 2005 experienced 526.
· Listings are down slightly in the North Market area by .49% over this time last year with 809 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are down slightly by 7.64% with 544 homes receiving contracts in May YTD 2006. Contracts pending in May YTD of last year registered at 589 units.
· Average sales price is slightly higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $120,462 representing an increase of 4.25%. Last year, average sales price was $115,546.
· The North Market area currently has 5.5 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 $62.


Northwest 13

· Sales have increased in the Northwest Market area in comparison to May YTD 2005 by 17% with 1342 MLS recorded home sales!
· Listings are DOWN in the Northwest area by 13% over this time last year with 1,436 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are up by 8% with 1,054 homes receiving contracts YTD through May 2006. Contracts pending May YTD last year registered at 974.
· Average sales price is also higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $168,701 representing an increase of 2.69% Last year, average sales price was $164,286.
· The Northwest Market area currently has 5.2 months of inventory. Last year, the Northwest Market had 6.9 months of inventory, which is a considerable improvement in supply.
· In May 2006, 16.4% 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 May YTD 2005 by 23% with 773 MLS recorded home sales!
· Listings are DOWN in the Far Northwest Market area by 8.7% over this time last year with 777 homes listed and on the market.
· Contracts pending are up by 22% with 624 homes receiving contracts YTD through May 2006. Contracts pending May YTD last year registered at 851.
· Average sales price is also higher than last years’ average sales price and currently stands at $192,640 representing an increase of 12% Last year, average sales price was $172,116.
· The area currently has 5.1 months of inventory. Last year, the Far Northwest Market had 6.9 months of inventory, which is a considerable improvement in supply.
· In May 2006, 17.7% of all listings in the area received a contract during the month, ranking the area #14 on the Houston Hotness Index!



Conroe – Montgomery County NW – Area 39

· Sales are up by 138 units in NW Montgomery County in comparison to May YTD 2006 with 635 homes sales recorded in MLS as compared to 497 last year.
· Contracts written year-to-date are up 27% with 417 recorded pending contracts year-to-date as opposed to 328 last year.
· Listings are up over this time last year by 1.%. There are currently 936 homes on the market in the area.
· Average sales price is up only slightly over last year [.08%] and currently stands at $209,583.
· The area has 7.7 months of inventory as compared to 9.3 last year, which is an improvement in home supply. The average price per square foot is $91 and days to sell a home are 108, which is down from last years’ 117.
· The Houston Hotness Index indicates that the Conroe area sold 8.6% of its single-family home supply in the month of May.

East / Wood forest Area 2

· Sales are up in the East by 5.32% in May YTD 2006 with 1,009 single-family homes sales recorded in MLS as compared to 958 last year.
· Contracts written year-to-date are down slightly by 2.18% or a total of 844 units recorded in MLS as pending contracts in May YTD 2006 as opposed to 826 last year.
· Listings are up over this time last year by 21 units or 2%. There are currently 1,069 homes on the market in the area.
· Average sales price is up over last year [4%] and currently stands at $99,066.
· The area has 5.5 months of inventory, the same as last year. The average price per square foot is $60 and days on market to sell a home are 83, which is up from last years’ 81.



Fort Bend Sugar Land Z 29

> Sugar Land has experienced a 4% increase in single-family home sales over May YTD 2005 with 766 home sales as compared to 737 home sales last year.
> Contracts written in Sugar Land are down by 55 units with 462 units pending to close.
> Sugar Land’s average sales price is up by 3% over May 2005 and now stands at $228,843 as compared to last year’s $222,720.
> Sugar Land homes on the market are down by 24% with 551 homes on the market as compared to last year’s 727.
> There are 3.2 months of inventory in Sugar Land as compared to last year’s 4.2 months of inventory, and that makes for a very healthy seller’s market. It takes 66 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 4 on the Houston Hotness Index in May, with 20.7% 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, 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 49 more home sales in May YTD 2006 as it did in 2005 with 740 home sales recorded in the Houston Association of Realtors® Multiple Listing Service.
> Contracts written in Missouri City are up by 15 units in comparison to May YTD 2005 and now records 546 units YTD recorded as pending to close.
> Missouri City’s average sales price jumped 12% over year-to-date May 2005 and now stands at $173,474 as compared to last year’s $155,221.
> Missouri City homes on the market are up by 6% with 820 homes on the market as compared to last year’s 774.
There are 5.5 months of inventory in Missouri City as compared to last year’s 5.3, and that still makes a healthy seller’s market. It takes 81 days on average to sell a home in Missouri City whereas last year, it took 84.
> According to the May Houston Hotness Index, the Missouri City area [Z38] had 14.4% of all listings receive contracts during the month of May. This earned Missouri City a 28th place ranking on the Houston Hotness Index, which ranks Houston’s Top 44 areas in hotness.
Missouri City’s increase in contracts written YTD through May, and its’ higher average sales price, indicates that the market could outpace last year’s market.

Fort Bend West Area 37

> Single family home sales in the West Fort Bend area are up by 13% over May YTD 2005, with 845 recorded home sales YTD.
> Contracts initiated May YTD 2006 are slightly below last years’ contracts initiated with 568 homes pended May YTD.
> Listings are down by 6% in the Fort Bend West area with 831 listings currently on the market in comparison to 880 last year.
> Average sales price for the Fort Bend West area has risen by 13% over May YTD 2005 and is currently $174,834.
> The Fort Bend West area currently has 4.8 Months of Inventory, meaning if no other listings were taken, it would take 4.8 months to deplete the current supply of homes. Last year, there was 6.3 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 May, Fort Bend West had 14.6% of its inventory go under contract during the month. This hotness earned the area a ranking of 24 on the May Houston Hotness Index out of 44 areas listed. 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 8.5% over May YTD 2005, with 537 recorded home sales YTD.
> Contracts initiated May YTD 2006 are also up by 4%, or 387 total units.
> Listings are down by 8% in the Fort Bend Southwest area with 567 listings currently on the market in comparison to 617 last year.
> Average sales price for the Fort Bend Southwest area is up by 4% over May YTD 2005 and is currently $194,163.
> The Fort Bend Southwest area currently has 5.2 Months of Inventory, meaning if no other listings were taken, it would take 5.2 months to deplete the current supply of homes. Last year, there were 6.2 months of inventory, so the speed of sales and dwindling supply of inventory equal a seller’s market.
> According to the MLS Houston Hotness Index for May, Fort Bend Southwest had 18.3% of all inventory go under contract during the month of May, earning a ranking of #9 out of 44 on the Hotness Index..
> 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 $77.

Katy / Cinco Ranch Area 36

• The Katy/Cinco Ranch Area was Number 1 on the Houston Hotness Index for May 2006! 28.1% of all active listings went under contract during that one month.
• The area has experienced 1109 homes sales YTD or a 10% increase over May YTD 2005.
• There has been an 8% increase in average sales price, which currently stands at $229,885.
• The Katy / Cinco Ranch area has experienced a 5.68% increase in pending sales for a total of 819 YTD.
• There is a shortage of homes on the market as the area experienced a 25% decline in listings. There are currently 791 homes on the market.
• The market has 3.2 months supply of inventory, which indicates an appreciating market, as opposed to 5.1 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 18% May YTD 2006 over the previous year during the same time frame with 1,601 home sales recorded in the Houston MLS year to date. There were 1,359 closed home sales last year during the same time frame.
> Pending contracts recorded May YTD 2006 were up by 13% compared to last year. Pending units recorded year-to-date currently stand at 1,170 units whereas last year, pending units were 1.031.
> Galveston Homes on the Market reached 2,176 units in May 2006 and are up by 34% over last year, where inventory was 1,622.
> Galveston County’s average sales price is $181,666 and that figure is up by 11% over last year.
> Galveston County currently has 7.1 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 81 and that is less than last year’s 86 DOM.
> While Galveston County has experienced a great market, with an 18% increase in sales, a 34% increase in supply is cause for concern. Listings should be precision priced at its current 96% list price/sales price ratio or higher and in showcase condition to attract the best offer.
> The Houston Hotness Index for May ranked Galveston County #35 out of 44 in terms of hotness because 12.2% of all listings went under contract during that one month.

Hempstead East Area 10

> Single-family home sales are up by only 58 units in the East Hempstead area over May YTD 2005 with 1064 home sales recorded in MLS year to date. There were 1006 single-family home sales last year during the same time frame.
> Pending contracts displayed an increase over May 2005 by 10%. Pending units recorded year-to-date currently stand at 766 whereas last year, pending units were at 696.
Hempstead East Homes on the Market are down by 15% over last year. There are currently 1,027 homes on the market as compared to 1,203 last year.
> The average sales price is $182,231 and that figure is 6.58% higher than last year’s $170,979.
> 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 83, and last year, it was 90.
> In May 2006, the Hempstead East area was #21 on the Houston Hotness Index because 15.7% of all listings went under contract during the month.


Kingwood Area 32

> Single-family home sales are up in Kingwood over May 2005 by 98 units or 22% with 543 home sales recorded in MLS year to date compared to 445 closed last year during the same time frame.
> Pending contracts really displayed an increase over May YTD 2005 by experiencing a 34% increase in May YTD 2006. Pending units recorded year-to-date currently stand at 419 whereas last year, pending units were at 312.
> Kingwood Homes on the Market are down by 24% over last year. There are currently 440 homes on the market in Kingwood as compared to 579 last year.
> Kingwood average sales price is $198,244 and that figure is up by 6.21% over last year.
> Kingwood represents a seller’s market with 4 months of inventory. Last year, Months of inventory were 6.1. Days on the market to sell a home in Kingwood are currently at 73 days, and last year, it was 80.
> In May YTD 2006, Kingwood was #2 on the Houston Hotness Index because 22.6% 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 May YTD 2005 by 31 units with 502 homes sales recorded in Houston MLS May YTD 2006.
> Pending contracts, which represent buyer demand year-to-date, has experienced an increase over last year of 16 units. Pending contracts currently stand at 241 pending sales and last year, it experienced 225 pending contracts.
> Listings have declined from this time last year by 7% and the current inventory stands at 461 homes on the market.
> Average sales price has risen by 11% since this time last year and average sales price is currently $582,672.
> The average price per square foot in the SW Inner Loop is $196 and last year the average was $185. Homes listed in the SW Inner Loop can expect to net 98% of the list price on average and sell on average after 84 days on the market.

Spring Branch Area 24

> Single-family home sales are up in the Spring Branch area by 27%! There were 419 home sales May YTD 2006 and during the same time frame last year, there were 330.
> Contracts initiated during the May YTD 2006 showed similar buoyancy with a 30% increase over last year during the same time frame. There were 212 contracts initiated last year and 276 this year. The market shows trends of continuing demand for the Summer.
> With the increased demand for single-family housing in the Spring Branch area, it is not surprising that listings have declined by 11% from this time last year. There are currently 402 active listings whereas last year, there were 451.
> The average sales price is up over this time last year by 8.5%. The current average sales price is $203,389 and last year it was $187,419.
> 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 6.1 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 $100 per square foot.
The Spring Branch area ranked 26th on the Houston Hotness Index for the month of April because 14.6% of all listings went under contract during that one month.

Tomball Area 35

> Single-family home sales have increased in Tomball from May YTD 2005 by 105 units with 577 homes sales recorded May YTD 2006.
> Pending contracts, which represent buyer demand year-to-date, has experienced an increase of 93 units. Pending contracts currently stand at 459 pending sales and last year, it experienced 366 pending contracts. This represents an increase of 25%.
> Listings have declined from this time last year by .47% and the current inventory stands at 634 homes on the market.
> Average sales price has risen 7% since this time last year and is currently $190,266.
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 84 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 103 days in May YTD 2005 to 84 in May YTD 2006, the pendulum has swung to a sellers’ market.

West Center Inner Loop Area 16

> Single-family home sales are up 22% in the West Center Inner Loop from May YTD 2005 over May YTD 2006 and currently 348 homes sold as compared to 2186 last year.
> Contracts written, a better indicator of buyer demand, are up by 24% from this time last year with 206 homes receiving contracts year-to-date.
> Listings in the West Center Inner Loop currently stand at 471 units and that figure is up from May YTD 2005 by 30 units, or 6.8%.
> Average sales price is slightly up by 1.79% from this time last year and is currently $528,825.
> Homes in the West Center Inner Loop sell on the average of $216 a sq. ft and last year that figure was $195. Homes that sell in the area can expect to render an average of 96% of the selling price and take approximately 82 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 187 units in May YTD 2006 over this time last year or 13% with 1654 home sales recorded.
> Contracts written, a better indicator of “future demand”, show 1,310 pending sales have been written year-to-date. This is a 136-unit increase over that which was written May YTD 2005.
> Listings in The Woodlands are down by 18.4% with 1,561 homes on the market in May YTD 2006 as compared to 1,913 in May YTD 2005.
> Average sales price in The Woodlands is $260,718, which is 8.7% greater than May YTD 2005, which averaged $239,892.
> 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 May YTD 2005 to 92 DOM in May YTD 2006.
> The Woodlands was ranked #3 on the Houston Hotness Index for May 2006 because 21.2% of all listings received a contract during that one month! The Woodlands is hot,hot,hot!

West Houston Area 31

> Single-family home sales in the West Houston area have increased by 10% in May YTD 2006 over May YTD 2005 and currently register 427 units sold.
> Contracts written are up from this time last year by 21% and there are currently 272 units recorded pending as opposed to 225 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% from this time last year with 461 homes on the market.
Average sales price YTD in the West Houston area is $301,421 and that is 11% more than May YTD 2005 average sales price of $272,350.
> 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 94 days on the market to sell. Months of Inventory currently stand at 5.4, representing a seller’s market.
> West Houston registered #31 on the Houston Hotness Index in May YTD because 11.7% 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 it is a seller’s market.
> A seller could expect to derive more from the sale of their home with this type of demand, 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 17% in May YTD 2006 over May YTD 2005 and currently register 336 units sold.
> Contracts written are up from this time last year by 40% and there are currently 165 units recorded pending YTD as opposed to 118 last year. This type of steep increase is indicative of an even more hot market still to unfold.
> Listings are down by 24% from this time last year with 279 homes on the market.
Average sales price YTD in the West Memorial area is $639,507 and that is 4% more than May 2005 YTD average sales price of $613,799.
> Homes in the West Memorial area sell at an average sales price of $184 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 81 days on the market to sell. Months of Inventory currently stand at 4.2, representing a seller’s market.
> West Memorial was registered #27 on the Houston Hotness Index in May because 14.5% 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.