PORTSMOUTH — Record December high-end volume, including the biggest single-
family sale in recent state history, helped real estate sales in the 13 Sample Seacoast Towns finish 2022 on a positive note.

The 13 Sample Seacoast Towns are Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls,
New Castle, Newfields, Newington, North Hampton, Newmarket, Portsmouth, Rye,
Seabrook and Stratham.

For the first time since June, closed single-family sales exceeded the total from 12
months ago, albeit by one, 72-71. The 21 sales of $1 million dollars or more is a
record for December, breaking the old mark of 12 set in 2020. Among those totals
was a $25-million-dollar sale on Straws Point, Rye, believed to be the highest
price paid for a single-family home in New Hampshire in at least 10 years.

The December single-family median sale price was $712,450, up 14.4% from last
year. Available inventory stood at 86 units at month’s end, up 54% from last year.

The 12-month sales totals for 2022 finished down 14.3% but the median sale
price of $685,000 is up 11.3%.

On the condominium side, the 34 December sales are the lowest level in 10
months, off 37% from last year. It was the slowest December for this market
segment since 2018. However, the median price of $455,000 is up 12.4% from
2021. For the year, condominium sales finished off 17.2%, while median sale
prices were up 28.3% at $685,000.

“The surprising strength of our upper-end market continues to be impressive,”
said Sandy Healy, Seacoast Board of Realtors president. “It truly demonstrates the
confidence buyers have in Seacoast real estate.