Just like that a strong Q1 encounters a bump in the road…  Although real estate is considered essential business, the stay-at-home order and fear resulted in reduced sales of all property types in every price range.  Prior to April, home sales were outpacing 2019’s volume. Year-to-date sales are still 1.4 percent ahead of last year’s level. Hopefully, as we start acclimating to a “new normal” and getting back to work, the real estate market will bounce back and we will end the year on a positive note.

Per HAR / MLS:

Category	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020	Mar. 2020	Apr. 2020	May 2020	June 2020	July 2020	Aug. 2020	Sept. 2020	Oct. 2020	Nov. 2020	Dec. 2020
Total Property Sales	5,800	7,393	8,965	7,192	7,917	11,153	13,043	11,121	11,137	11,232	9,660	11,572
Total Active Listings	39,699	40,091	40,932	41,151	39,516	36,901	36,055	34,181	32,047	31,384	29,948	26,821
Single-Family Home Sales	4,699	6,044	7,566	6,199	6,671	9,328	10,917	9,195	9,101	9,287	7,990	9,652
Townhome/Condominium Sales	398	465	533	373	405	577	685	639	652	636	580	662
Single-Family Months of Inventory	3.5	3.5	3.5	3.6	3.5	3.2	3.0	2.8	2.5	2.4	2.2	1.9
Single-Family Pending Sales	7,212	8,547	7,885	7,125	10,559	11,610	11,185	10,598	9,507	9,680	8,265	7,469
Days on Market	68	68	65	58	58	56	56	51	51	47	46	46

Price Range	Jan. 2020	Feb. 2020	Mar. 2020	Apr. 2020	May 2020	June 2020	July 2020	Aug. 2020	Sept. 2020	Oct. 2020	Nov. 2020	Dec. 2020
$1 - $99,999	109	107	97	82	98	92	100	79	70	85	60	85
$100,000 - $149,999	277	328	361	258	301	346	316	253	294	278	221	268
$150,000 - $249,999	1,757	2,131	2,688	2,180	2,309	2,927	3,406	2,845	2,932	2,907	2,397	2,925
$250,000 - $499,999	1,461	2,056	2,547	2,200	2,278	3,403	4,157	3,464	3,416	3,472	3,216	3,887
$500,000 - $749,999	226	277	402	324	342	548	766	613	580	611	515	650
$750,000 and above	124	161	258	191	157	282	424	398	355	393	335	443

Selling a house isn’t always easy, but I love working on my client’s behalf to pave the way to a successful closing.

“Thank you Leslie Lerner for your guidance in selling my home in Meyerland. Leslie has a confident and steady approach in dealing with situations and contracts that helped me relax and let her decide what was best. I have sold properties by owner and although I was apprehensive to let go, she won me over with the clear and level headed manner in which she dealt with the situations. She helped me price my house correctly so that it sold quickly even in the middle of uncertain times in the pandemic. Thank you Leslie for peace of mind!”

– Lisa H.

>>>Testimonials

Recently, every day has felt like Groundhog Day, but in reality Memorial Day weekend is upon us.  That means it is time to take advantage of the Energy Star and Water-Efficient Products Sales Tax Holiday.

During Memorial Day weekend, Texas shoppers avoid paying state and local sales and use taxes on purchases of certain energy-efficient and water-efficient products.

The Sales Tax Holiday begins Saturday, May 23rd and ends at midnight on Memorial Day, May 25th.

The energy-efficient products that qualify for the tax exemption are:

• air conditioners priced at $6,000 or less
• refrigerators priced at $2,000 or less
• ceiling fans
• incandescent and fluorescent light bulbs
• clothes washers
• dishwashers
• dehumidifiers
• programmable thermostats

Qualifying products will display the ENERGY STAR logo, which may appear on the appliance, the packaging or the Energy Guide label. There is no limit on the number of qualifying items one can purchase during this sales tax holiday, and an exemption certificate is not required.

Internet and Catalog Sales

The tax free holiday also applies to internet and catalog sales of eligible products, provided that the item is paid for and delivered to the purchaser during the exemption period; or the purchaser orders and pays for the item and the retailer accepts the order during the exemption period for immediate shipment, even if delivery is made after the exemption period. An order is considered “for immediate shipment” even if delivery or shipment is delayed because of a backlog of orders or because an item is temporarily out of stock or on back order by the seller. Per the Texas Comptroller’s 0ffice, retailers may charge sales tax if they do not want to participate in the program.

Delivery Charges

Delivery, shipping, handling or transportation charges connected to the sale of a qualifying item purchased tax free during the sales tax holiday also qualify for the exemption. Such charges are included as part of the sales price of qualifying products sold during the holiday whether separately stated or not.

>>>For more information visit the Texas Comptroller’s website.

Water-Efficient Products

You can buy certain water-efficient and water-conserving products tax free during the Water-Efficient Product Sales Tax Holiday.

WaterSense Products

You can buy any product tax free that displays a WaterSense label or logo. These items can be bought for personal or business use.

Water-Conserving Products

These items can only be bought for residential/personal use.

You can buy items tax free during the holiday that are used or planted for:

• conserving or retaining groundwater;
• recharging water tables; or
• decreasing ambient air temperature, and so limiting water evaporation.

Examples of items that qualify for the exemption include:

• a soaker or drip-irrigation hose
• a moisture control for a sprinkler or irrigation system
• mulch
• a rain barrel or an alternative rain and moisture collection system
• a permeable ground cover surface that allows water to reach underground basins, aquifers or water collection points
• plants, trees and grasses
• water-saving surfactants
• soil and compost

>>>For more information visit the Texas Comptroller’s website.