March 2016 – Negative housing headlines should be read with calm or skepticism, not alarm. National housing trends, like the steady rise in home prices and decline in inventory, should certainly be observed with care, but tracking wider economic conditions is also necessary. Buyers want to get into the market, but unlike the rising-price sales environment of ten years ago, people are not diving headlong into risky mortgages or uncomfortable situations. This carefulness should be celebrated, not feared.
New Listings in Staten Island decreased 5.3 percent to 539. Pending Sales were up 13.5 percent to 371. Inventory levels fell 31.2 percent to 1,508 units.
Prices continued to gain traction. The Median Sales Price increased 1.8 percent to $417,450. Days on Market was down 30.1 percent to 115 days. Sellers were encouraged as Months Supply of Inventory was down 43.8 percent to 4.3 months.
Employment figures are positive, wages are going up and employers are hiring. Consumers are holding for the right deal, even in the face of extremely low mortgage rates. As seller and builder confidence increases, we should see more activity in Q2 2016. The second quarter tends to rank as the best time to list a home for sale. But if inventory stays low, it will be difficult to sustain sales increases in year-over-year comparisons. Prices are seemingly not so high as to stall the market completely. Demand is present but an abundance of choice is not, and therein lies the rub.
| Monthly Indicators | ||
| + 11.9% | + 1.8% | – 31.2% |
| One-Year Change in Closed Sales | One-Year Change in Median Sales Price | One-Year Change in Inventory |
| Click here for full report about the entire Staten Island housing market. | ||
Click links below for detailed housing information on the different geographic areas of Staten Island:
East Shore – Includes data from Arrochar, Grasmere, Old Town, South Beach, Dongan Hills, Dongan Hills below Hylan, Grant City and Midland Beach
Gateway – Includes data from New Dorp, Oakwood, Oakwood Beach, Oakwood Heights, Bay Terrace, Great Kills and Eltingville
Greater St. George – Includes data from Ft. Wadsworth, Concord, Shore Acres, Rosebank, Clifton, Stapleton, Thomkinsville, St. George, Ward Hill, Park Hill and Grymes Hill
Heartland – Includes data from Willowbrook, Manor Heights, Bulls Head, New Springville , Heartland Village, Travis and LaTourette.
North Shore– Includes data from New Brighton, Snug Harbor, Livingston, Randall Manor, West Brighton, Port Richmond, Mariners Harbor, Graniteville, Arlington, Bloomfield and Elm Park
South Shore – Includes data from Annandale, South East Annandale, Arden Heights, Rossville, Woodrow, Huguenot, Princess Bay, Pleasant Plains, Charleston, Richmond Valley and Tottenville
The Hills – Includes data from Emerson Hill, Todt Hill, Lower Todt Hill, Light House Hill, Richmondtown, High Rock, Dongan Hills Colony and Emerson Hill
The Lakes – Includes data from Westerleigh, Sunset Hill, Sunnyside, Royal Oak, Silver Lake, Clove Lakes and Castleton
