| The activity in the Wallingford and Meriden market was uncharacteristically high in December. Usually buyers and sellers take this time to pull back a bit and enjoy family and friends and get ready for Christmas. Some sellers even withdraw their homes from the market, thinking that no one would be out looking for a house at this time of year. But this year, not many sellers took their home off the market and that was a good thing, as the buyers were back out right after the holiday with a vengeance, continuing their home search and taking advantage of interest rates right out of the Twilight Zone.
Wallingford
 The number of available homes in Wallingford remained almost exactly at November’s levels, losing only 3 units overall. Sales of Wallingford single family homes were up by 17% in December, but the condo market stayed even with November sales. The bad news was that the average selling price for condos fell by over $14,000 last month, while single family homes were selling for about $23,000 less than the prior month. This would seem to be at odds with the numbers that say Wallingford is in a balanced market, where depreciation of homes is usually relatively flat. Sales stats indicated that several homes sold for considerably less than list price, and overall homes sold at only 91.5% of list price, an unusually low figure. Interest rates remain at historically low rates, at or below 4% for conventional loans, while rates for first time home buyers hit a yearly low at 3.250 percent. Rental properties remained in high demand, especially for those who accept Section 8 funds. We do not anticipate that the market will keep up this fast pace and sales for January will most likely fall back to between 25-30 units.
Meriden
 The number of available homes for sale in Meriden dropped by 5% in December, falling to 318 units. Like Wallingford, sales rose slightly in December, up 15% to 39 units sold. Unlike Wallingford however, the average sale prices jumped for both single family homes and condos: houses were up about 4%, while condos rose around 3 percent. Coupled with the reduced inventory, this was enough to place Meriden firmly in a balanced market for the month, the first time all year that both markets held that status at the same time. And like Wallingford, rentals are also becoming more sought after in Meriden as cost-conscious consumers look for alternatives to buying until the economy improves. Those buyers who are in a position to buy have been out in force since right after Christmas, and they are still in great shape to take advantage of low interest rates. The CHFA rate for first time buyers is now at an all-time low 3.25% and shows no sign of rising any time soon, despite speculation in some quarters that they will start to rise after the first of the year. Even with all this good news, it appears that january sales will not be able to match December’s sales, and will probably end up around 20-25 units sold.
Summary
Inventory in both Wallingford and Meriden continued to drop in December, while sales in both towns rose. Total sales for both communities in December were 75 units, a 15% increase over November, and a 14% increase over December 2010. Overall, both single family homes and condos are selling for slightly less than in November but selling quicker. Wallingford’s market remained a balanced one, with just under 7 months of available inventory, and Meriden’s market also improved to a balanced market with just over 8 months of inventory, the first time in 2011 that both markets have been in the same status. If you’re selling a home in Wallingford, properties priced at $180,000 or less or between $250,000 and $300,000 are now selling the best, while everything else is moving slowly. In Meriden it’s the homes priced in the $120,000 and under range that are selling the fastest, anything priced higher is taking 4 months or more to sell. It looks like sales in both towns will fall back slightly in January, but we’re hopeful that interest rates will stay at current levels for a while and buyer activity will remain high heading into the Spring market.
For more information on the Wallingford and Meriden housing markets, call Harriman Real Estate today at (203) 672-4499, email us at info@harrimanre.com, or visit our web site at www.harrimanre.com!
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