West Is Best? Not According to Realtor.com’s List of the Hottest Summer Markets

Warmer temperatures in the summer months have historically caused homebuyers to pump the brakes on home purchases in the West, but a new report by Realtor.com reveals that for the first time in the data’s history, western states are altogether missing from June’s 20 hottest real estate markets. While markets on the West Coast are seeing temperatures rise as quickly as home prices, cooler and more affordable eastern markets are reporting strong sales and an influx of migrating buyers.

Concord, New Hampshire topped the list of the most popular summer housing markets as an affordable alternative to nearby Boston, where prices rose to $759,000 in June compared to the capital city’s median listing price of $457,000, Realtor.com reports.

“What’s happening is that in-state sellers are moving,” says real estate broker Pamela Young, of Re/Max Insight, who sells homes in both Concord and Manchester. “Concord is north of Manchester, and the prices are better. You get more house for a better price.”

Young also says she has buyers flocking to New Hampshire from Tennessee, Georgia, Texas, Oklahoma, and Hawaii. Plus, both Manchester and Concord enjoy the “Live Free or Die” state’s lack of state income and sales taxes. Still, these New Hampshire–bound homebuyers will need to act fast, particularly in Concord.

“You’ll see multiple offers on a property in Concord within a week,” warns Young. “My clients made an offer on a home that had been on the market for three days—and were declined. It already had seven offers.”

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