Massachusetts Home Buyer Guide

Through the first half of 2014, single-family home sales and median home prices increased in Lynnfield, Massachusetts, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

There were 64 single-family homes sold from January to June, an increase of 18.5 percent compared to the 54 closed sales during the same period in 2013. Single-family home sales in Lynnfield, MA spiked in June 160 percent. There were 26 homes sold in June, an increase from 10 in June 2013. Pending sales were up 9.5 percent in June to 23, a slight increase from 21 pending sales in June 2013. 

Sharon, Massachusetts, named in 2013 by Money Magazine as the best place to live in America, is a suburban community located southwest of Boston, with a population of approximately 17,000 people. 

Situated along Interstate 95, Providence, Rhode Island is about 26 miles to the south and Boston is about 17 miles to the north of Sharon. The MBTA commuter rail's Providence/Stoughton line stops in Sharon, providing easy access to Boston's South Station by train. There are not any subway or bus lines in the community. In addition, Massachusetts Route 27 runs through the town. 

The median price of a single-family home in Franklin, Massachusetts rose in June and has risen through the first half of the year, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. 

The median price of a house increased to $430,260 in June, an increase of 22.9 percent compared to $350,000 in June 2013. Through the first six months of the year, the median price increased 13.7 percent to $424,500. The median price during the same period in 2013 was $373,500. On average, home buyers paid 98.2 percent of the original list price through the first half of the year.

After a cold winter the weather turned warm in June, but the Haverhill, Massachusetts real estate market was very hot. 

The median price of a single-family house in Haverhill, MA jumped 15.9 percent in June 2014 to $296,750 compared to $256,000 in June 2013, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Through the first half of 2014, the median price for a single-family home increased 3 percent to $265,000 compared to $257,250 during the first six months of 2013. 

Home buyers were out in full force in June. Single-family home sales in June spiked 16.7 percent compared to June 2013. There were 42 single-family sales in June compared to 36 sales in June 2013. From January through June there were 166 closed sales, down just two sales from 168 single-family home sales during the same period in 2013. 

The median price of a single-family home in Stoneham, Massachusetts increased 7.3 percent during the first six months of the year compared to the same period in 2013, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

The median price of a Stoneham, MA single-family house stood at $406,500 through June, an increase from $379,000 through the first six months of 2013. The median price in June was $423,500, up 12.6 percent from $376,000 in June 2013. 

Single-family home sales in Winchester, Massachusetts dipped during the first half of 2014 while the median price of a single-family home increased, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. 

The median price of a single-family home in Winchester, MA increased 6.7 percent through June compared to the first six months of 2013. The median price stood at $910,500, up from $853,000. Prices also increased 6.7 percent in June to $905,000 compared to $848,000 in June 2013. In June, single-family properties sold for 99.8 percent of the original list price. 

Located in Norfolk County, Walpole, Massachusetts is an intimate town with a mix of suburban and rural areas. It is conveniently situated approximately 18 miles southwest of Boston and 25 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island.

First settled in 1659, Walpole was originally a part of Dedham, Massachusetts until it was officially incorporated in 1724. It was named after Sir Robert Walpole, who was generally regarded as the first prime minister of Great Britain. Its growth began after the Revolutionary War and skyrocketed after the Industrial Revolution. Today, Walpole is home to approximately 24,000 residents, according to the 2010 U.S. Census.

The median price of a single-family home in Hingham, Massachusetts was $652,000 in May, an increase from $595,250 in May 2013, according to data compiled from the Massachusetts Association of Realtors.

A town of about 30,000 residents, Tewksbury, Massachusetts attracts individuals and families looking for relatively affordable housing options in a place with a small town feel at a reasonable distance from Boston, MA and Manchester, NH. 

Located in northeastern Massachusetts in Middlesex County, Tewksbury is made up of a little more than 21 square miles of rolling terrain. The town is bordered by Lowell on the west, Dracut on the north, Andover on the northeast, Wilmington on the southeast, and Billerica on the south. Tewksbury is approximately four miles southeast of Lowell, MA, 21 miles northwest of Boston, and 35 miles southeast of Manchester, NH. 

The sparkling waters of the Piscataqua River reflect the charm of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, a thriving community of about 21,000 people that blends the historic past with modern New England. Surrounded by the cities of Rochester and Dover and numerous towns such as Exeter, Stratham, Hampton, Greenland and Rye, Portsmouth offers the best of two worlds: the attractions of a small town and close proximity to Boston. 

The median price for single-family homes in Dunstable, Massachusetts increased 3.7 percent from April 2013 to to April 2014, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. 

The median single-family home price in April was $425,000, compared to $410,000 in April 2013. Single-family property prices in Dunstable, MA went up 19.1 percent over the first four months of the year relative to that same period in 2013. The median price through April was $480,000, up from $402,950 through the first four months of 2013. 

Real estate inventory of single-family homes in Andover, Massachusetts declined 18.9 percent in April 2014 compared to April 2013, according to data compiled by the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. 

In April 2014, there were 86 homes on the market, compared to 106 in April 2013. Months supply of inventory in April also declined. There was 2.8 months supply in April relative to 4.2 in April 2013, a 33 percent decline.

The median price of a single-family home in April was $492,000, up from $471,000 in April 2013. Andover, MA single-family property prices increased 27.7 percent over the first four months of the year compared to that same period in 2013. The median price through April was $574,500, up from $450,000 through the first four months of 2013.