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First Quarter Real Estate Sales Rise In Danbury

FAIRFIELD COUNTY, Conn. -- First quarter real estate sales climbed by more than 5 percent in Fairfield County over last year, according to statistics released by Coldwell Banker.

Real estate sales rose in the first quarter in Danbury and Ridgefield.

Real estate sales rose in the first quarter in Danbury and Ridgefield.

Photo Credit: Daily Voice File photo

Sales rose in Danbury and Ridgefield, while the median sale price rose in Danbury and fell in Ridgefield.

In Danbury, sales rose 8.33 percent and the median sale price jumped 3.39 percent. In Ridgefield, sales shot up 12.9 percent but the MSP fell 10.71 percent, to $475,000. Both communities saw a surge in new listings, with Ridgefield adding 233 units -- a 28 percent increase -- and Danbury adding 344 units, a 15.44 percent increase compared to the first quarter last year.

Overall in Fairfield County, the real estate market appears to be holding steady. The median sale price rose 2.25 in the first quarter compared to the same quarter last year, and days on market declined four percent. There were more than 5,000 new listings in the first quarter, an increase of more than 17 percent from the first quarter last year.

"There's a healthy level of buyer demand right now,'' said Joe Valvano, president of Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Connecticut and Westchester County. "Consumer confidence is steady. Employment has improved. Interest rates have remained low. It was a very good first quarter, especially compared to last year. The spring market was pretty late getting started last year because of the weather."

The median sale price for Darien and New Canaan has been hurt by a drop in high-end home purchases. First-time home buyers are moving into the market, but pricier homes are slow to move. The average days on market for the county in the first quarter was 120, including 107 in Ridgefield, 162 in Redding, 167 in Greenwich and 170 in Weston.

“The high-end segment of the market is not moving as quickly as we would have hope all over Fairfield County,’’ said Brad Kimmelman, brokerage manager for William Pitt Sotheby’s in Fairfield and Southport. “ If those homeowners want to sell, they will have to make price adjustments. If they bring prices in line, we’ll start to move that high end inventory, which we need to move.”

Click here for the first quarter report from Coldwell Banker. 

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