HOUSTON,HAR Report — (September 9, 2020) — Following a July that vaulted Houston real estate into the record books, August proved to be another healthy month for home sales despite the lingering coronavirus pandemic. The high end of the market staged the strongest performance, pulling up overall pricing along the way. However, with a decline in the number of listings for sale coming on the market, inventory has now fallen to its lowest level in five years, setting the stage for moderating sales in the weeks ahead despite historically low interest rates.
According to the latest Houston Association of Realtors (HAR) Market Update, 9,195 single-family homes sold in August compared to 8,673 a year earlier. That accounted for a 6.0 percent increase and marked the third consecutive month of positive sales.
Homes priced at $750,000 and above registered the greatest percentage increase, soaring 40.3 percent compared to August 2019. In second place was the $500,000 to $750,000 housing segment, which jumped 34.4 percent year-over-year. Homes between $250,000 and $500,000 — the market’s highest volume sales range – also achieved significant increases over 2019.