Low Inventory of Existing Homes Continues to Drive Prices

The continued shortage of inventory compared to buyer demand has pushed the median sales price of existing/resale homes up near the record high in Ada County and set a new record in Canyon County.

As of March 2017, the median sales price for existing homes in Ada County was up 8.4% year-over-year, reaching $233,000. While this was an increase of 5.5% over February 2017, the previous high point was in June 2016 at $239,900.

In Canyon County, the median sales price for existing homes reached $164,700, up 10.2% compared to March 2016, and up 4.8% over February 2017. The previous high point was in July 2016 when the median sales price of existing homes reached $160,450.

While more existing homes are being listed each month as we move further into the spring market, it’s not enough to keep up with buyer demand. This is especially apparent when comparing current inventory to last year’s levels.

According to Lawrence Yun, Chief Economist for the National Association of REALTORS®, the key to fixing the inventory crunch is with homebuilders. They must increase inventory in all prices points to not only help current buyers but also existing homeowners who don’t know where they will move if they sell. As more new inventory becomes available, existing homeowners could move and free up properties in the low to middle price points.

We did see an uptick in the number of new homes for sale compared to last year, but again, existing inventory continued to lag:

Builders know there is demand at all price points and they are eager to meet it. However, in order to be profitable, they often build homes at higher price points due to the constraints of higher material costs, land prices, and the shortage of labor. As existing home sellers are able to net more as prices increase, the hope is that they will choose to sell and move up in price point, especially as there are new homes available in the higher price points.

Additional information about trends within each county, by price point, by existing and new construction, and by neighborhood, are now available in the March 2017 Market Report. This report includes an explanation of the metrics and notes on data sources and methodology.

Download the latest market snapshot graphics for Ada County and Canyon County:

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This report is provided by the Ada County Association of REALTORS®, which began doing business as Boise Regional REALTORS® (BRR) in 2016. BRR is the largest local REALTOR® association in Idaho, with over 4,000 members and two wholly-owned subsidiaries — the Intermountain Multiple Listing Service, Inc. (IMLS) and the Boise Regional REALTORS® Foundation. This report is based primarily on the public statistics provided by the IMLS, available at: intermountainmls.com/Statistics/Static.aspx. These statistics are based upon information secured by the agent from the owner or their representative. The accuracy of this information, while deemed reliable, has not been verified and is not guaranteed. These statistics are not intended to represent the total number of properties sold in the counties or cities during the specified time period. The IMLS and BRR provide these statistics for purposes of general market analysis but make no representations as to past or future performance.  || The term “single-family homes” includes detached single-family homes with or without acreage, as classified in the IMLS. These numbers do not include activity for mobile homes, condominiums, townhomes, land, commercial, or multi-family properties (like apartment buildings). If you are a consumer, please contact a REALTOR® to get the most current and accurate information specific to your situation.