In these towns, prices are going up as market goes down
Home prices across the state and country are on the second leg of an epic slide down.
But in Greater Boston, home prices remain stubbornly high in many towns.
In fact, a number of suburbs have seen median home prices rise - not fall - this spring.
Our local housing market has the same problem it has always had: Too few well maintained, desirable homes at reasonable prices.
So when a home in a good location, good town and in good condition comes on the market at a reasonable price, it gets snapped up.
Here are towns where prices are rising, according to records section of Banker & Tradesman, published by The Warren Group. All numbers are median home sale prices, year to date, through April, compared to the first four months of 2010.
I've broken the list into two parts - relative surprises and the usual suspects.
Relative surprises:
- Bedford: $469,000 to $520,000/ sales up 20 to 26
- Ashland: $325,000 to $362,000/ sales up 22 to 27
- North Andover: $470,000 to $500,000/sales down 48 to 42
- Newburyport: $380,000 to $418,000/sales down 44 to 35
- Framingham: $288,000 to $296,000/sales down 114 to 99
- Hull: $270,000 to $321,000/sales down 25 to 20
The usual suspects:
- Manchester: $600,000 to $791,000/sales same at 16
- Hingham: $500,000 to $645,000/sales down 61 to 50
- Belmont: $680,000 to $706,000/sales down 35 to 28
- Cambridge: $600,000 to $730,000/sales down 30 to 21
- Newton: $700,000 to $757,000/sales down 137 to 109
- Lincoln: $880,000 to $1,037,000/sales same at 10
