Mass. homes sales post big December gains

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By Sam Bonacci

Sales of single-family homes in Massachusetts ended the year on a high note with a 10 percent increase over December 2013, according to The Warren Group.

The Boston-based real estate research organization said Tuesday that 4,209 single-family homes were sold across the state in December, a 9.6-percent increase over December 2013, when there were 3,841 sales. Meanwhile, the median sale price in December also increased, by 2.1 percent to $320,000. For the year, the median selling price rose 2.5 percent to $330,000. However, since January, the number of sales for the year dropped 2 percent, according to the group.

“We closed 2014 with increases in both single-family home sales and median price in December,” said Timothy M. Warren Jr., CEO of The Warren Group, in a statement. “The 9.6-percent gain in sales volume was exceptionally strong. We have not seen a bump like that in over a year. With (lending) rates hitting historic lows for 30-year mortgages and strong job growth, I am confident that we will see a strong start to 2015 market.”

Sales in Worcester and Middlesex counties trailed only slightly from the state’s gains in single-family home sales, with increases of 9 percent and 6.9 percent respectively. Median sale prices were up 3 percent in Worcester County, to $221,000, and .42 percent in Middlesex County to $422,250. Sales for the year were down in both Worcester and Middlesex counties, with a decline of 1.12 percent and 3.57 percent respectively.

Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Association of Realtors (MAR) reported a more modest increase of 5.5 percent in single-family home sales and a jump in the median sale price of 4.1 percent compared to December of last year.

Both organizations reported a decline in condominium sales, with MAR reporting a 4.3 percent drop in sales, but a 3.4 percent rise in the median price compared to December 2013.

The Warren Group reported a 0 8 percent drop in December condominium sales, while the median price rose 2.1 percent to $309,000. The year-to-date median condo selling price was up 4 percent, according to the organization.

Worcester County saw an increase in condo sales, according to Warren Group's data, with an 11.8 percent increase while the median sale price dropped .43 percent to $174,250. In Middlesex County, sales saw a sharp decline of 11.76 percent while the median price rose 8.66 percent, to $345,000.