O‘ahu Real Estate Sales Drift Downward

Properties are spending longer on the market

Buyer activity continues to slow with closed sales of single-family homes dropping 41.7% and condos falling 28.8%. Median sales price growth has also decelerated, though prices remained up year-over-year, with single-family homes increasing 5.0% to $1,050,000 and condos rising 4.0% to $520,000.

Properties that closed in October were on the market for a median of 19 days in both markets, up approximately eight to nine days year-over-year. Bidding over the asking price is shifting downward in both markets. For single-family homes, sales this October were split, with 50% of single-family home sellers receiving their full asking price or more, while the other 50% of sales closed below the original asking price. That’s a notable difference considering 75% of single-family homes sold at full asking price or more in October 2021. The condo market also saw 48% of sales close at the full asking price or more, compared to 59% last year.

“Higher financing costs are dampening buyer activity, meaning sellers’ properties are spending more than a week longer on the market compared to last year,” said Chad Takesue, president of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®. “As buyers and sellers seek a new balance under the current market conditions, we’re also seeing the prevalence of bidding over the asking start to wane compared to what we saw in 2021.”

Sales of O‘ahu Homes Cool Amid Rising Mortgage Rates

Median sales prices remain relatively flat, active inventory builds gradually

Rising mortgage rates are weighing on home sales. Year-over-year, single-family home and condo sales dropped 34.4% and 19.3%, respectively, and compared to August 2022, single-family home sales were down 11.5%, while condo sales dipped 2.4%. Pending sales activity was also muted compared to last year, with contract signings falling 43.7% for single-family homes and 30.7% for condos.

Median sales prices remained relatively flat over the last several months and saw a slight bump up compared to the same time last year. In September, the single-family home median was $1,100,000, up 4.8%, while the condo median sales price was $502,500, a 5.1% increase from a year ago.

“With rising rates and inflation, buyers are reevaluating what they can afford, and this is having ripple effects across supply and demand in our local housing market,” said Chad Takesue, president of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®. “Fortunately, our 10-year appreciation rates on O‘ahu have been historically favorable, so despite interest rates being about 6%, real estate is still a smart investment. It’s important to remember that the market varies from neighborhood to neighborhood, and housing opportunities are available for everyone.”

Sales of O‘ahu Homes Return to Pre-Pandemic Levels

Median sales price for condos dips to under $500,000

More than 300 single-family homes and more than 500 condos sold in August, which is near pre-pandemic annual average closed sales per month for single-family homes and above average for condos. Median sales prices remained on pace with recent months, with August’s single-family home median sales price rising 7.2% year-over-year to $1,125,500 and the condo median sales price marking a nominal decline of 0.3% to $498,500.

“As market activity continues to slow with the rise in interest rates, it’s important for buyers to remember that homeownership is still possible,” said Chad Takesue, president of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®. “More than 250 properties on O‘ahu, most of which were condos, sold for under $500,000 last month.”

While new listings fell 17.2% for single-family homes and 15.7% for condos, active inventory increased 43.3% for single-family homes and 12.9% for condos, though this lags behind pre-pandemic levels. A larger share of new listings remained active at the end of the month – 61% compared to 46% last August for single-family homes and 59% compared to 48% for condos – which is another indication of the cooling market. In both markets, properties that sold in August were on the market for a median of 13 days.

O‘ahu Housing Prices Continue to Tick Up, Setting New Records

Properties spend a near-record median of 10 days on the market

The single-family home market started to cool with closed sales dropping 15.1%, while the demand for condos remained steady with closed sales rising 15.1% compared to May 2021. Both markets saw median sales prices continuing to tick upwards, setting new records, with single-family homes reaching $1,153,500 and condos hitting $516,500.

Single-family homes in the $600,000 to $999,999 price range represented the most significant decline in sales activity, dropping 41.2% compared to one year ago. Most regions across O‘ahu experienced a dip in sales, except for the Central region of Mililani and Wahiawa, which ended the month on a high note with a 61.9% increase in sales.

Condos in the more affordable price range of $300,000 to $599,999 represented 48.0% of closed sales in May, with a volume increase of 13.4% from one year ago. Condo sales in the $700,000 to $899,999 range more than doubled compared to May 2021, representing 17.6% of May closings. The Metro region accounted for the most significant increase in condo sales, up 21.9%, while the Ewa Plain area saw sales decline by 20.3%.

“As interest rates and median sales prices rise, the question of what people can afford is clearly impacting market dynamics,” said Chad Takesue, president of the Honolulu Board of REALTORS®. “We see this reflected in the active inventory of single-family homes, which rose 39.8% from a year ago. Though we’re still lagging behind pre-pandemic levels, this increase in much-needed inventory gives prospective buyers more options to choose from across the various price points.”

Sales of single-family homes and condos are moving at a near-record pace, with properties spending a median of 10 days on the market in May. Sales closing above the original asking price continued in May, with 217 single-family homes and 313 condos selling for more than the original asking price. For single-family homes, this represents 63% of the month’s sales and 45.5% of May condo sales.