Waltham real estate prices up slightly, as prices drop in surrounding towns

Median single family home prices went up slightly in the past year to $388,000 in May 2009, compared to $365,000 in May 2008.

Numbers of sales were about on par with last year, with 19 single-family homes changing hands in May 2009, compared to 20 sales of local single-family homes in May 2008, according to The Warren Group, which tracks local real estate data.

The data shows what appears to be a slight recovery in local home prices, which have suffered in recent years. Springtime median home prices in Waltham have been dropping every year since hitting a high of $450,000 in May 2005.

A year later, they dropped to $420,000 in May 2006, and then to $405,000 in May 2007, The Warren Group reported.

The home sales slowdown was less severe this year in Waltham than neighboring communties, like Wellesley and Newton, which saw a 50 percent drop in numbers of home sales, and steep drops in home prices, compared to 2008.