AUGUSTA (December 22, 2015)— The Maine Association of REALTORS released monthly statistics today, which indicate a 22.68 percent jump in sales compared to one year ago. Sales prices also continued their upward trend; the median sales price (MSP) for the state rose 4.35 percent to $180,000 compared to November 2014. The MSP indicates that half of the homes were sold for more and half sold for less.
The National Association of Realtors reported a 4.6 percent dip in single-family existing home sales nationwide, while the national MSP increased 6.6 percent to $221,600 in November. Regionally, sales in the Northeast were up 1.5 percent from November 2014, and the regional MSP of $254,800 represents a 3.2 percent rise.
Marie Flaherty, President of the Maine Association of Realtors, said, “The mild weather and threats of rising interest rates certainly has had some impact on buyer decisions. However, pent-up demand has had the biggest effect. The winter season is still a great time for sellers to consider listing their home, as life changes always prompt the need to sell and buy homes—regardless of season.”
Flaherty added, “Maine is a four-season state, and we have some of the best skiing, snowmobiling and ice fishing on the East Coast; second homes and camps for winter remain a viable market.”
Below are two charts showing statistics for Maine and its 16 counties. The first chart lists statistics for the month of November only, statewide. The second chart compares the number of existing, single-family homes sold (units) and volume (MSP) during the “rolling quarter” the months of September 1 to November 30 of both 2014 and 2015.
