Washington County home sales dip slightly in June
Washington County saw both its existing and new home sales decline slightly in June, according to the most recent sales statistics released Monday.
Pittsburgh-based RealStats, which covers residential real estate sales in five Southwestern Pennsylvania counties, noted that Washington County’s total dollar volume rose modestly at 6.9 percent from June 2012, despite moving eight fewer units last month.
However, where existing home sales were concerned, the average price of a home for June in the county was $213,186, or $27,000 more than the $186,089 average from June of a year ago. The median price of an existing home in June was $169,900 up nearly $20,000 from the $150,000 average price in June 2012. The number of existing home sales fell six units from the 228 that moved in June of last year, to 222 this June.
The average price of a new home in the county declined by more than $25,000, from 4339,475 in June 2012 to $313,709 last month.
Total dollar volume, which stood at $7,842,728, was down $1.3 million from $9,165,821 a year ago.
Realtors sold 25 units in June, down from 27 in June 2012.
When new and existing home sales were combined, Washington County’s average home price for June was $223,360, up from $202,330 a year ago, with total dollar volume for June at $55,169,965, up $3.5 million from a year ago.
RealStats, which follows single-family and condominium sales in Allegheny, Beaver, Butler, Washington and Westmoreland counties, noted that the 30 percent surge in year-over-year home sales dollar activity recorded this April fell to 11 percent in May and 2.6 percent in June, while new homes sales remained flat in May and dipped last month compared to a year ago.
“Today’s report tells us that the rebound in metropolitan Pittsburgh’s housing market will not be a straight line and that the region can expect spikes, plateaus and even dips in the months and years ahead,” said Daniel Murrer, vice president of RealStats. “New construction sold exceptionally well in June 2012 and was a difficult feat to match in June 2013. There’s little doubt that this year will beat last in number of sales, dollar activity and price gains.”