Franklin County house sales see big up-tick in prices

[ Originally published on: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 ]

In Franklin County, November home sales rose 80 percent from last year, with a median price rise of 14.6 percent.

The actual number of closings rose from 34 in November of 2008 to 61 this past November. The median sales price rose from $157,000 to $180,000.

The increase in both the sales and the prices was ''almost entirely'' attributable to the federal government's homebuyer tax credit, according to Michael Pratt, managing broker at the Greenfield office of Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate The Masiello Group. He said with the credit, homebuyers were more willing to pay higher asking prices. Nonetheless, the rise in prices in the county is an anomaly statewide.

The new homeowner tax credit of $8,000, and the existing homeowner credit of $6,500 will continue for houses put under contract by the end of April.

Single family home sales rose in the Pioneer Valley overall by 98 percent, from 236 to 467 houses, according to the Realtor Association of Pioneer Valley statistics.

The median price for houses sold in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties rose 0.3 percent.

The median price of single family homes in Franklin County was up 14.6 percent from last year, according to the statistics.

For the full version of this story, you may purchase The Recorder electronically, by returning to the home page and clicking under ''E-Edition'' on the right side of your screen, or you can purchase the print edition, which is available throughout Franklin County, Massachusetts.

 

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