Home Price Survey

The Houston Association of Realtors analyzed Houston-area subdivisions for the Chronicle based on residential property sales handled through the Multiple Listing Service. The list published today contains 2,102 Harris County subdivisions that recorded three or more sales in 2016. Neighborhoods with fewer than three sales were excluded.

HAR’s list including Brazoria, Galveston, Fort Bend and Montgomery Counties contains 3,276 subdivisions.

In all, the five-county data cover sales of 76,449 single-family homes and 6,668 townhouse/condos in the Houston area in 2016, plus sales of 73,724 single-family homes and 6,750 townhouse/condo sales in 2015. The vast majority of the neighborhoods are made up of singlefamily homes, the realty association reported.

The study is designed to show price trends by neighborhood. Among the caveats, in neighborhoods with few sales, the change in the median price from year to year may be more of a reflection of the type of house that sold rather than the price direction for the neighborhood as a whole. Price per square foot can vary within a neighborhood, for example, when one house is on a golf course and another is not, or one was sold for lot value and another was renovated.

The table category headings are explained as follows.

Subdivision: Name of the neighborhood based on appraisal district records.

HAR market area: Neighborhood region as defined by the Houston Association of Realtors.

Median square feet: The median size house in a neighborhood based on appraisal district records. That is, half of the houses are larger and half are smaller.

Median year built: Based on appraisal district records.

Median home taxable value: Based on appraisal district records.

Median price per square foot in 2012, 2015, 2016: The median home price per square foot of houses that sold during a given year based on Houston Association of Realtors records. The median is the mid-point, so half of the houses sold for a higher price and half for a lower price.

Percent change 20152016: One-year change in the median price per square foot in a neighborhood, from 2015 to 2016.

Percent change 20122016: Five-year change in the median price per square foot in a neighborhood, from 2012 to 2016.

Suburban counties online: To search this online as well as see listings for Brazoria, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Galveston counties, go to: www.chron.com/ homeprice.