Looking to Forward to Warm November Gatherings and Beyond! 🦃🏡

As we anticipate the upcoming holidays and what’s next in local real estate, here’s what happened in October in our local Fairfield and Westport single-family housing markets compared to one year ago. If you want the exact details, check out the What Sold Reports.

October 2024

PRICE: Median Price Down. Homes Sold an Average of 102-103% of Ask.

• Single-family sale prices averaged 103 percent of asking in Fairfield and 102 percent in Westport.

• The median sale price in Fairfield was $828,000, down 4.8 percent from October 2023. The median sale price per square foot was also down slightly from a year ago, to $388. In Westport, the median sale price was $1,550,000, down 31.1% from last October. The median sale price per square foot was down 6.9% from the same time last year, to $577.

PACE: Shorter Average Market Time. Unit Sales Down. Hovering Around 3 Months of Supply

• Market time was down more than 30% from than last October, averaging just 24 days to contract in Fairfield and 28 days in Westport.

• Unit sales in Fairfield totaled 41, DOWN 6.8% from October 2023, and 23 in Westport, DOWN 8% compared to last year.

• Inventory in Fairfield was up 23.4% from last October with 153 single-family homes for sale and down 16.1% in Westport with 78 homes for sale.

• The months of supply metric remained in the low three-month range with levels of 3.34 and 3.21 months in Fairfield and Westport respectively. The inventory trend favoring sellers continued.

What does it mean?

The market slow down was not surprising given the longterm trend (since 1963!) of a seasonal drop in sales during October and November that’s even sharper during election years.

Yet on average, homes that sold went quickly and for above the asking price. Affordability pressures and mortgage rates, that headed north of seven percent despite anticipated cuts, likely encouraged more sales in lower price points and cash purchases. In fact, 27% of the sales in Fairfield and 43% in Westport were cash deals. The short market time demonstrated the high demand from buyers who were well-prepared and ready to commit to making competitive offers.

What can we expect going forward? History tells us that the real estate market picks up after election uncertainty has passed. Keeping Current Matters said that home sales went up after 9 of the last 11 presidential elections, referencing HUD and NAR.

What we do know is that demand continues to out-pace housing supply. There is additional pent-up demand from both buyers and sellers who have been waiting on the sidelines for changing interest rates and election results. Increased sales activity is in the 2025 forecast below.

These trends are national, and we know that real estate markets are hyper-local. No one knows for sure, but here is what AI has to say! What do you foresee? (Share your thoughts below).

Action Items.

We also know that every market offers opportunities. People have been buying and selling homes every month of every year since ‘real estate’ began. What’s important are your goals and the ideal timing for you. Reach out to your agent as soon as possible with your questions, concerns, and ideal outcomes so you can work together on a plan to get you where you want to go in the existing market.

As a seller, collaborate with your agent for the best marketing strategy and negotiations to maximize demand for your listing in the current market. If you’re concerned about where to go, consider this. Here’s an overview of what you can expect.

As a buyer in this market, preparedness and patience are the key! Your agent will help you navigate the market for a successful sale and/or purchase. Depending on the demand at any given moment for a particular property, there may or may not be flexibility on price and terms. There is still solid competition among buyers and a short window before most sellers receive and accept offers. However, there is a window right now heading into the holidays, where buyers may catch a break in leverage. As a buyer, you may be have a little more room for negotiation right now if a seller is motivated to close before the year ends and willing to make a deal!

You need to be ready to make an informed decision if you plan to secure your new home. This means you are ready to submit a competitive offer and your proof of funds or mortgage pre-approval are in your agent’s hands! Keep in mind if you are financing and enter a multiple-bid situation, you may be competing with cash offers, so you may need to have other terms that are attractive in order to be more competitive. Here’s a guide for what you can expect.

Are you planning a move this season? What dreams do you have for your newest lifestyle?

William Raveis Local Housing Data

FAIRFIELD SINGLE-FAMILY – OCTOBER 2024

WESTPORT SINGLE-FAMILY – OCTOBER 2024

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