Do Median Home Prices jump in Summer?

There is always a huge JUMP in median home prices in the middle of the year compared with sales made at the end of the year.

Why?

Because families move during the summer. Singles and childless couples can move anytime of the year. Families buy bigger houses with more rooms, larger lots and more square footage. Bigger houses cost more. Summer home prices are always higher, simply, because we are comparing bigger houses to smaller houses.

When the real estate pundits slant statistics to gain ratings, the headlines can fool you. To gain a true picture of median price increases/decreases in your area, compare July 2004 sales prices against July 2005 prices, December to December.