[Spring Market] In Like a Lion, Out Like a Lamb

Posted by Jonathan J. Miller -Friday, June 11, 2010, 12:01 AM
Comments Off

I’m making up for lost time, not having taken art classes in school…

In the New York City metro area, prices were generally stable – the story this spring was really all about transactions. In today’s New York Times, Vivian Toy’s piece: Spring Real Estate Market Roars In but Tiptoes Out Early describes the robust sales activity that occurred in the first three months of the year but peaked by mid-April, two months early. Sales continued to remain elevated through May and June, however. Does this mean that the market is poised to slip?

Who knows?

This article portrays what we observed in our practice and it was corroborated by StreetEasy’s contract data. This could be explained by the federal tax credit expiration in much of the US housing market, but probably less so in Manhattan due to the high price point:

Housing sales activity rose across the country in March and April, in anticipation of the April 30 deadline for the $8,000 first-time buyers’ tax credit. But economists and brokers say the tax credit was probably a less powerful incentive in Manhattan, where the average sales price for an apartment is $1.4 million.

And price metrics are rising.

Seeing another sign that the market is on the mend, Pamela Liebman, the president of the Corcoran Group, said that the average price on signed contracts at Corcoran had climbed to $1.5 million in May, from $1.31 million in February.

However, it is important not to confuse this increase with rising prices. The high end market simply “woke up” in the beginning of the year and is skewing the overall numbers. We saw this happen to our 1Q 2010 market stats. Plus its a seasonal phenomenon to see the aggregate numbers rise in the spring.

But nationally, housing market indecision is on the rise.