Here are the latest statistics from January 2009:

Let’s compare these figures to what was going on in the fall in October 2008:

As you would expect due to the time of year and the amount of snow on the ground, there are less single family homes and condos currently on the market, but except for this normal seasonal change, the single family and condo market in Arlington has remained steady and active. Single family homes have been selling with an average of only 39 days on the market, while condos have been taking approximately 71 days to sell.

The multi family market has lost some ground. However, since so many 2 and 3 family homes in the city were converted to condos, there aren’t that many multi family homes for sale, so we’re working with a small statistical sample. The figures are showing that while homes are selling in a very respective average of 47 days on market, the average sales price has definitely dropped in last few months. It will be interesting to see what happens in a few months when the spring market (and the sun) returns!

More articles on Arlington, MA:

• Cut Down Your Commute Time
• Real Estate Stats for Arlington, MA as of October 2008
• Bring the Green Line to Route 16

These numbers tell us that the market in Arlington is very healthy. How do I know? Take a look at the absorption rates. Absorption rate is a way to look at the number of properties currently on the market and then using the number of recent sales, allows you to estimate how long it would take for every property currently on the market to sell if no new properties were allowed to go on the market. This figure helps you to see if the market is speeding up, slowing down or staying level. The city-wide absorption rate for Arlington has stayed level at about a 2 month figure. This is very low. There are many cities in Massachusetts with over 11 months of inventory on the market.

Arlington’s good school system, proximity to Boston and diverse, active community has allowed it to ride through the current market downturn without being affected as strongly as most other communities.