Happy June! 🌼

Here’s a quick look at what happened last month in our local Fairfield and Westport markets. If you’re curious which homes sold, take a look at the What Sold Reports.

Here’s what happened in May 2024.

Prices fluctuated.

• Single-family home sale prices averaged 105 percent of asking in Fairfield and 103 percent in Westport, up from about 100% last month.

• The median sale price in Fairfield was $846,619, DOWN 13.2% compared to May 2023 but up from last month. The median sale price per square foot was UP 14.1% to $433 and also up from last month. In Westport, the median sale price was $1,975,775, DOWN 24% from a year ago and down from last month. The median sale price per square foot was $498, which was DOWN 10.1% from last May. The fluctuation could be due to the mix of homes that sold, such as more lower-priced homes.

Pace: Short market time, flat sales, new listings => 3-4 months of supply.

• Days on market averaged a brisk 25 in Fairfield and 23 days in Westport pointing to a significant amount of cash deals. In Fairfield, 40 percent of the homes were purchased with cash, and 34.6 percent of the Westport sales were cash deals in May. Though some listings sat for much longer than average, the overall market time was much shorter than last May.

• Unit sales in Fairfield were 45, the same as in May 2023, and 26 in Westport which was down 3.7% compared to last May. Inventory was up in Fairfield with 156 single-family homes for sale and down in Westport with 100 homes for sale.

• The months of supply metric was way UP (30.4%) in Fairfield and slightly UP (4.4%) in Westport compared to May 2023, at 3.45 and 3.7 months respectively. There were 50 New and Coming Soon MLS listings in Fairfield and Westport combined at the time this was written.

What does it mean?

Continued low inventory and short market time favored sellers. There were still multiple-offer situations, but these were on a case-by-case basis. Some homes sold for full price or more than asking, and some sold for less.

Bottom line.

If now is a good time for you to pursue a new lifestyle, the current market always offers opportunities. In some cases, there is more balance than before, but we are still in a seller’s market due to low inventory. When buying, patience and more ‘user-friendly’ interest rates, now in the 6s, can work in you favor! Your agent’s expert guidance will help you navigate this market for a successful sale or purchase. Reach out to me anytime with your questions about the market and to discuss your plans.

When you are selling, your agent will guide you on the marketing strategy and negotiations to maximize the demand for your listing in the current market. Here’s an overview of what you can expect.

If you plan to buy in this market, there may or may not be some flexibility with timing and price. It is on a house-by-house basis. There is still a predominance of solid competition and a short window before sellers accept offers. It all depends on how much competition exists for a particular home at the point in time when you want to pursue it. You will need to be ready to make an informed decision if you really want to get your house. This means you have everything you need to submit a competitive offer. This also means that you have your mortgage pre-approval or proof of funds in your agent’s hands because an offer is not complete without this critical piece! Keep in mind that if you will be financing and enter a multiple-bid situation, 35-40 percent of the other bidders may be offering cash, so you will have to compensate with other attractive terms to make your offer more competitive. Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

What are your thoughts about the market and interest rates? Would you love to be in a new home this summer? ☀️ Share your thoughts in the comments or send me a note below.

William Raveis Local Housing Data

FAIRFIELD SINGLE-FAMILY – MAY 2024

WESTPORT SINGLE-FAMILY – MAY 2024

To review last month’s market report.

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