MIAMI — Martin County total home sales posted a double-digit increase for the sixth consecutive month in March 2021 as pent-up demand and low mortgage rates continue fueling transactions, according to the MIAMI Association of Realtors (MIAMI) and the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) system.
Martin County total home sales jumped 26.4% year-over-year in March 2021, from 341 to 431. Martin County single-family home sales rose 33.8% year-over-year, from 222 to 297. Martin existing condo transactions increased 12.6% year-over-year, from 119 to 134.
Martin real estate’s robust March 2021 statistics are in comparison to strong March 2020 sales. Local and national home sales experienced a brief slowdown starting in April 2020, but quickly rebounded to boost and significantly uphold the economy at a time when other industries struggled.
“Stuart and Martin County offer that charming small town Florida lifestyle that continues attracting robust home sales,” JTHS-MIAMI President Bill Mate said. “Homebuyers, particularly those from tax-burdened Northeastern states, want to live a sunny healthy lifestyle with no state income tax.”
The demand for South Florida real estate is evident in median time to contract. Martin County single-family homes are going under contract in 21 days, 58.8% faster than a year ago (51 days). Martin County condos are going under contract in 32 days, 17.9% faster than a year ago (39 days).
Lack of inventory in certain price points is impacting sales, particularly for single-family homes. Increased housing starts and more sellers listing properties in 2021 should help alleviate the lack of supply.
Martin County Luxury Single-Family Home Sales Surge in March 2021
Martin County single-family luxury ($1-million-and-up) transactions jumped 512.5% year-over-year to 49 sales in March 2021. Martin County existing condo luxury ($1-million-and-up) sales increased 133.3% year-over-year to 7 transactions.
Luxury months of supply continues to trend downward for all property types, month-over-month, and year-over-year.
Martin County single-family homes priced between $400K to $600K surged 31.3% year-over-year to 84 transactions in March 2021. Martin County existing condo sales priced between $400K to $600K increased 20% to 6 transactions.
Low interest rates; a robust S&P 500; the appeal of stable assets in a volatile economy; homebuyers leaving tax-burdened Northeastern states to purchase in Florida (no state income tax); and work-from-home and remote-learning policies have all combined to create a robust market for luxury single-family properties.
Robust Price Appreciation in Martin County
Strong demand coupled with limited supply continue to drive price appreciation in Martin County.
Martin County single-family home prices increased 30.4% year-over-year in March 2021, increasing from $375,000 to $489,000. Existing condo prices increased 22% year-over-year, from $174,000 to $212,250.
Single-Family Home and Condo Dollar Volume Increases
Single-family home dollar volume increased 128.6% year-over-year, from $109.6 million to $250.4 million. Condo dollar volume increased 33.4% year-over-year, from $30.4 million to $40.6 million.
According to Freddie Mac, the average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage was 3.08% in March, up from 2.81% in February. The average commitment rate across all of 2020 was 3.11%.
Martin County Distressed Sales Stay Low, Reflecting Healthy Market
Only 0.5% of all closed residential sales in Martin County were distressed last month, including REO (bank-owned properties) and short sales, compared to 1.8% in March 2020.
Total Martin County distressed sales decreased 66.7%, from 6 to 2.
Short sales and REOs accounted for 0% and 0.5% year-over-year, respectively, of total Martin County sales in March 2021. Short sale transactions decreased 100% year-over-year while REOs decreased 60%.
Nationally, distressed sales represented less than 1% of sales in March 2021, down from 3% in March 2020.
Martin County Real Estate Selling Close to List Price
The median percent of original list price received for single-family homes was 97.7% in March 2021, up 2.2% from 95.6% last year. The median percent of original list price received for existing condominiums was 94.9%, up 0.3% from 94.6% last year.
The median number of days between listing and contract dates for Martin County single-family home sales was 21 days, a 58.8% decrease from 51 days last year. The median number of days between the listing date and closing date for condos was 32 days, down 17.9% from 39 days.
The median time to sale for single-family homes was 64 days, a 31.9% decrease from 94 days last year. The median number of days to sale for condos was 72 days, a 6.5% decrease from 77 days.
National and State Statistics
Nationally, total existing-home sales transactions completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, decreased 3.7% from February to a seasonally-adjusted annual rate of 6.01 million in March. Sales overall climbed year-over-year, up 12.3% from a year ago (5.35 million in March 2020).
In March, statewide home sales totaled 32,819, up 23.3% year-over-year, while existing condo-townhouse sales totaled 16,518, up 52.6% over March 2020. Closed sales may occur from 30- to 90-plus days after sales contracts are written.
Nationally, the median existing-home price for all housing types in March was $329,100, up 17.2% from March 2020 ($280,700), as prices increased in every region. March’s national price jump marks 109 straight months of year-over-year gains.
The statewide median sales price for single-family existing homes was $327,000 up 18.9% from the previous year, according to data from Florida Realtors Research Department in partnership with local Realtor boards/associations. Last month’s statewide median price for condo-townhouse units was $242,000, up 15.2% over the year-ago figure. The median is the midpoint; half the homes sold for more, half for less.
Martin County’s Cash Buyers Top National Figure
Martin County cash transactions comprised 52.2% of March 2021 total closed sales, compared to 53.1% last year. The national figure for cash buyers is 23%.
Martin County’s high percentage of cash sales reflects South Florida’s ability to attract a diverse number of international homebuyers, who tend to purchase properties in all cash.
Condominiums comprise a large portion of Martin County’s cash purchases as 60.4% of condo closings were made in cash in March 2021 compared to 48.5% of single-family home sales.
Seller’s Market for Single-Family Homes, Balanced Market for Condos
Inventory of single-family homes decreased 64.9% in March 2021 from 969 active listings last year to 340 last month. Condominium inventory decreased 51.8% to 211 from 438 listings during the same period in 2020.
Months supply of inventory for single-family homes decreased 68.1% to 1.5 months, which indicates a seller’s market. Inventory for existing condominiums decreased 57.4% to 2 months, which also indicates a seller’s market. A balanced market between buyers and sellers offers between six- and nine-months supply.
Months supply of inventory is down since July 2019 for single-family, reflecting strong demand.
Total active listings at the end of March 2021 decreased 60.8% year-over-year, from 1,407 to 551.
New listings of Martin County single-family homes increased 10.8% to 308 from 278. New listings of condominiums increased 4.1%, from 145 to 151.
Nationally, total housing inventory at the end of March amounted to 1.07 million units, up 3.9% from February’s inventory and down 28.2% from one year ago (1.49 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 2.1-month supply at the current sales pace, marginally up from February’s 2.0-month supply and down from the 3.3-month supply recorded in March 2020. Inventory numbers continue to represent near-historic lows; NAR first began tracking the single-family home supply in 1982.
To access March 2021 Martin County Statistical Reports, visit http://www.SFMarketIntel.com
Note: Statistics in this news release may vary depending on reporting dates. MIAMI reports exact statistics directly from its MLS system.
About the MIAMI Association of Realtors
The MIAMI Association of Realtors was chartered by the National Association of Realtors in 1920 and is celebrating 101 years of service to Realtors, the buying and selling public, and the communities in South Florida. Comprised of six organizations, the Residential Association, the Realtors Commercial Alliance, the Broward-MIAMI Association of Realtors, the Jupiter Tequesta Hobe Sound (JTHS-MIAMI) Council, the Young Professionals Network (YPN) Council and the award-winning International Council, it represents 52,000 total real estate professionals in all aspects of real estate sales, marketing, and brokerage. It is the largest local Realtor association in the U.S. and has official partnerships with 223 international organizations worldwide. MIAMI’s official website is www.miamirealtors.com
###
