Fairfield Update through July 31, 2019

The pattern that we saw emerging with the three W's repeats itself here in the largest of the mid-Fairfield towns,  Fairfield.  The active listing numbers continue to be higher than levels seen before this phase of the real estate cycle, in part because of higher numbers of high end listings which take considerably longer to sell.  With 55 current active listings over $ 2 million and 11 that have sold through the first 7 months of this year, we are likely to see inflated levels for high end homes  for some time to come. 

Younger home buyers continue to seek smaller lots closer to amenities.  This has adversely affected homes in Greenfield Hills, which generally take longer to sell than homes closer to the center of Fairfield (closer to train. schools and restaurants) and the beach area.

The 461 current active single family listings are top heavy under $1 million with 293 currently being offered, representing 63.5% of the homes on the market.  The current median list price of all homes currently for sale in $849,000.  The actual median sales price through the 31st of July has been $556,500, a decrease of 8 % when compared to the same period in 2018.  The median number tends to be skewed in Fairfield because of the large number of 'affordable' homes.  There are now 115 homes listed between $ 1 million and 2 million (24.9% of offerings) representing
tremendous value in terms of condition, style and square footage, as well as extra amenities (pools, tennis courts, home theaters, etc.).

Total sales are up 8 percent (471 compared to 440) compared to the first 7 months of 2018,  Activity has picked up in the past couple of weeks, with last minute purchases driven by the nearing of the school year, as well as those selling their homes looking to either downsize or move into a different style or area of town.

February is a hot month for entry level homes

The earlier months of the year are not always representative of the year as a whole, but there seems to be a pattern for entry level homes, as the sales numbers trended toward the lower end of the market.


Despite record amounts of snow falling the number of entry level single family homes that went to contract increased dramatically this February when compared to February 2014. In Westport 41 homes went to contract versus 25 in the same month last year.  The median sold price for homes selling in February was at $883,000 compared to $785,000 in Feb. 2014.   These prices are well below the median sales price for the end of 2014 in Westport, which was over $1.3 million.  These
sales represent both properties going under contract in early 2015 as well as late 2014 contracts.
The year to date median sold price of $1.2 is much closer to those year end figures, implying a jump in entry level activity this month.  The median price at this time last year was at $1 million, so the trend of lower priced homes going early in the year is something to look at in the future.


Weston also saw an active market, with 16 homes going to escrow compared to 9 in February 2014
and for the year there has been an 80 per cent increase to 27 properties compared to 15 through February of last year.  The median sold levels in February were at only $558,000 compared to $710,000 last February, a decrease of 21.5%.  Year to date levels are also down considerably to $690,000 compared to $833,000 in Feb. 2014.


Wilton saw the most dramatic increase in contract activity, 160%, with 26 homes going to escrow compared to 10 last February.   The median sales price of $779,000 for February was slightly below last year's median price but well below the February average of $1.2 million.  Year to date the median sales price is $830,000 vs. $705,000 at the same time last year.  For the first two months of the year there have been 40 homes that have gone to contract, an increase of nearly 74%.


Fairfield, whose market is driven in much greater part by the entry level has seen its year to date median sales price  increase slightly to $558,000, just below the 2014 yearly median sales price.
The sales numbers have also  sharply improved.  Year to date there have been 125 homes that have gone to contract compared to 76 at this point last year.  That is a healthy 64.5% increase.  For February that increase was 84%. 


Inventory levels are slightly above historic averages.  Much of this inventory is represented by homes that were on the market previously in 2014.  New inventory has actually decreased thus far this year.
The coming months should see vibrant sales activity.

Late Summer Activity-Going into Fall

It is hard to believe how quickly the summer went. Maybe it was the rainy June that brought us slowly into summer, or the blistering days of July that made us want to not think about summer, leaving us with the month of August with its mixed weather. In any case, it is now officially autumn, and kids are back in school. The beginning of September with back to school and end of summer vacations is traditionally a slow period in real estate, and there were fewer new listings coming to the market. We're now seeing some homes that came off the market in the summer coming back to the market along with a sprinkling of new inventory. We're also seeing quite a few price reductions from homes that have been on the market for some time. The activity in general continues to be moving toward more historic levels in terms of total number of sales. I often watch what's going on in new construction as an indicator of local builder confidence. Westport has the most active market for new construction in Southwest Fairfield County. Thus far in 2013 there have been 53 new homes sold in Westport, compared to 43 at this time last year, representing a 25% increase. There are also 16 new homes under contract. In addition, there are 49 new homes being marketed at this time. About half of those homes are in the early stages of development. We will most likely also see some additional inventory in the early spring for new homes. At this rate, it looks like builders are figuring that there will be an increase of new home sales for 2014. These figures also don't take into account some custom homes that do not enter the Multiple Listing service. One of the trends that we've seen the last couple of years, and continue to see, are new homes being built on smaller lots. These properties often have access to city sewer and city water, making construction easier for builders, and allowing homes to fall into more affordable price ranges. Though the numbers in August were below those seen in the very brisk spring market, almost all towns saw an increase in the number of properties that went to contract, up significantly (more than 50%) in all towns except Weston which saw its number of 23 in August 2012 fall to 21 in 2013. Year to date though, Weston has seen a 52.5% increase (year to date) of overall sales. Changes in Mortgage rates do not seem to have overly affected the number of sales. On the price side, it may have had some impact on the average sales prices. The median sales prices are just about where they were a year ago, when looking at overall statistics.

October 2012 Market Update

Sales continued at an increased pace in October, and inventory levels are slowly decreasing. In Westport 45 homes went to escrow in October 2012, an increase of 164% when comparing to the previous October. On a yearly basis escrows are up 9.5%, to 334, though closed sales are still trailing 2011 by 4.2%. The median price of closed sales is now at $1,207,500, slightly off from earlier this summer indicating more activity of homes selling for under $1million. Weston continued its steady improvement. The yearly median sales price now stands at $745,000, which is $5000 less than the October 2011 level. 20 homes bindered in October compared to only 7 in October 2011. The 125 homes that have escrowed in 2012 vs. only 80 at this time last year, represent a 56.3% increase. The month's supply of inventory is now at 9.9 months vs. 30.7 months at this time last year. There have been107 closed sales year to date compared to only 90 at this time last year, a solid 18.9% improvement. Wilton's median sales price of $747,000 is a fraction higher than Weston's, indicating that historic parity between these similar towns is returning. This figure represents a decrease on a year to year basis of 9.5%. Some of this was due to the October median sales price of $650,000. As in all of the towns that I follow, homes on the lower end of the market have dominated recent sales activity. October saw a big jump in average days on the market. Yearly averages for marketing time of homes has increased to 163 days, an increase of 41.7% over the previous year. These figures are likely influenced by new measures of calculating these times instituted by the multiple listing service. Months of inventory in Wilton is now down to 8.9 months, better than Weston's 9.9. Closed sales were up in October in Wilton, and year to date there have been 185 single family home sales compared to 153 in 2011, a 20.9% increase (also slightly better than Weston's). Lastly, the largest town in Mid-Fairfield, Fairfield, saw the median sales price in October go to $578,000, a 30.6% increase over the previous October. The yearly median sale's price of $549,000 continues to make Fairfield the most affordable town of the Mid-Fairfield area. The 38 homes entering escrow in October nearly doubled the previous October's activity. Year to date 598 properties have gone to escrow in Fairfield, a very solid 29.2% increase. Closed sales were also up in October (33%), and year to date there have been 519 closed sales, an increase of 11.9% over 2011.