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Sales in the Essex housing market went up again in the second quarter of 2019, and finally started to drive some meaningful price appreciation. Sales rose over 8% for the quarter, and finished the rolling year up over 5%. And this sustained increase in sales is finally having an impact on pricing, which was up over 2% on average and almost 4% at the median. The rolling year pricing is still relatively flat (down 1% on average, up 2% at the median), but the trend is positive for Essex sellers and homeowners. Still, we might be seeing some impact from the 2018 Tax Reform’s $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions (SALT Cap), which particularly affected higher‑income taxpayers like Essex County homeowners and home buyers, who are more likely to itemize their deductions and feel the pinch. Going forward, though, we expect that the SALT Cap’s impact will eventually get priced into the market, and believe that the seller market fundamentals are strong: a growing economy, prices well below historic highs, low interest rates, and low levels of inventory.
