News

Amesbury beats house sales trend

By Katie Farrell
Staff writer
Published: May 3, 2008

AMESBURY — During a struggling housing market, Amesbury's real estate figures climbed last year — a scenario that was different from most other cities and towns in Massachusetts.

According to a report issued recently by the Warren Group, Amesbury's median price for a single-family house rose 8 percent from 2006 to 2007 — $358,000 compared with $329,950.

The number of single-family home sales also climbed by 13 percent — 112 to 127.

The data is a contrast to some neighboring communities. Salisbury, for example, saw a drop in single-family home sales from 60 in 2006 to 50 in 2007, or 16.7 percent. The median price for a single-family home dropped by 3 percent from one year to the next — $319,750 down to $310,000.

Newburyport fared better. The median price rose 3.91 percent from $447,500 to $465,000, while the number of home sales dropped from 190 single-family houses in 2006 to 171 in 2007.

In Merrimac, the median home price increased by close to 10 percent — from $342,500 to $376,500. Housing sales went down in that community from 2006 to 2007, from 45 to 34.

Amesbury Town Planner Nipun Jain cautioned that various factors come into play as data is collected for such reports.

"I think a lot of that has to do with how the statistical analysis is done," Jain said. "It depends on the criteria."

But Amesbury does have features that are appealing to newcomers, Jain said. The town has maintained a strong quality of life and has made long-term investments in its future with open space and recreational opportunities, such as walking trails, Lake Gardner and the Riverwalk, Jain said.

The town also offers a diverse range of housing opportunities, Jain said, which is drawing more interested homeowners from closer to Boston.

"People will travel if they can get a reasonable home at a decent price," Jain said.

Amesbury also is situated in an attractive location — close to tax-free New Hampshire, Jain said, which is a draw as well.

Cathy Toomey, of Stone Ridge Properties, said clients are seeing "good value" in Amesbury.

"I'm seeing people continuing to want to move into Amesbury," she said. The town is "up-and-coming" with a growing restaurant scene.

For commuters who work in Boston, Toomey said, the town is still appealing as more employees are able to work from home or have a flexible schedule for when they need to be at the office.

"It's less of a concern," she said. "I think the workplace has certainly tried to be more accommodating to today's families. It's made a real difference for us."

As buyers look to find a home, there are key areas, Jain said, including planning and preservation, good schools and quality infrastructure.

"It's fair to say that we have done a good job in Amesbury (on those)," Jain said.