THE BLUEPRINT:
-
Long Island logged 2,218 home sales in October, up from September and last year.
-
Inventory fell to 5,783 listings, nearly 10% lower year over year.
-
Median home prices dipped in both Nassau and Suffolk counties.
-
Mortgage rates are trending lower, with forecasts pointing to further easing next year.
The number of Long Island home sales rose last month, as inventory fell and prices pulled back.
There were 2,218 closed home sales in Nassau and Suffolk counties in October, 204 more than the previous month and 109 more than in Oct. 2024, according to numbers from OneKey MLS.
Inventory decreased last month as compared with the previous month and also dropped year over year.
There were 5,783 Long Island homes listed for sale at the end of October—2,473 in Nassau and 3,310 in Suffolk. That’s 312 fewer homes than were listed for sale the previous month, and nearly 10 percent fewer than the 6,421 homes that were listed for sale at the end of Oct. 2024.
The numbers for listings and sales include single-family homes, condominiums, and co-ops. The Suffolk numbers don’t reflect all sales on the East End.
Home prices retreated last month, falling in both Nassau and Suffolk.
The median price of closed single-family home sales in Nassau last month was $837,000. That’s $12,000 less than the September median price of $849,000, but still 6.1 percent higher than the $789,000 median price recorded in Oct. 2024.
In Suffolk, the median price of closed single-family home sales last month was $701,000, which is $19,000 more than the September median price of $720,000 and 4.6 percent higher than the $670,000 median price of Oct. 2024.
Mortgage rates continue to trend lower. The average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage loan in New York was 6.19 percent as of Monday, according to bankrate.com. That’s down a bit from September, and below the 2024 average rate of 6.7 percent.
Mortgage rates are projected to decline modestly, averaging around 6 percent next year, according to Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors. He said that while rates are influenced by more than Federal Reserve decisions alone, broader economic factors are contributing to gradually lower borrowing costs.
“As we go into next year, the mortgage rate will be a little bit better,” Yun said in a NAR statement. “It’s not going to be a big decline, but it will be a modest decline that will improve affordability.”
Nationally, existing home sales are projected to rise by around 14 percent in 2026, according to Yun, though prices are expected to stay firm. He said the expected rebound reflects the easing mortgage rates and improving market stability after several challenging years. Home prices are forecast to increase by 4 percent next year, supported by steady demand and persistent supply shortages.
“Next year is really the year that we will see a measurable increase in sales,” Yun said. “Home prices nationwide are in no danger of declining.”
David Winzelberg
Source link
