Well I live in 21209, so that sure makes me happy.

These stats do not take into the effect of releasing and relisting properties. That will cause your numbers to seem higher.

I would urge caution using something like this as statistics. Just as each market is local, each house is varied in its own way. Great houses, priced well in today's market are going to sell faster than a neighbor's house which may not be as updated or could be overpriced. Using a broad stroke to paint an entire zip code loses some of the nuances of sales statistics. It absolutely doesn't touch on zip codes that are in two different counties, let alone the diffrences between zip codes that straddle Baltimore City and Baltimore County. I think you really need to dig a little deeper before releasing such "statistics' as fact.

John, good point -- that's another reason why asking price vs. selling price isn't the end-all and be-all on market health.

Frank, I'm not presenting these figures as the final word on the housing market -- take another look at the post, and you'll see several cautionary "this is just one statistic, and not necessarily the best one" notes. But list vs. sales isn't chopped liver, either. It's worth looking at.

Bought a house in 21128 about 6 months ago - Glad I bought for much less then the listing price.

JB, 21128 (Perry Hall) or 21228 (Catonsville)?

oops is was Perry Hall

Nope.I wasn't saying you were presenting these as facts. But, the Brokerage firm who released these "statistics" is setting up that impression. I think "hottest" and "coldest" zip code is certainly giving the wrong impression.

Aberdeen Maryland Cold, what? Did someone tell the reporter that BRAC is coming and these people will be arriving this summer 2010. I will be selling my for 350k. It's a brand new home only 1.5 miles from the APG. The reporter needs to be objective in her reporting that the first rule in news.

Anthony, you don't have to refer to me in the third person. I'm right here. :-)

Also, I'm simply noting statistics released by a real estate brokerage -- you know, a company that works with buyers and sellers. No doubt ZipRealty's local agents are aware of BRAC, and I certainly am too, but that doesn't appear to have affected the sales price vs. listing price of Aberdeen homes in the last three months of 2009. And that's what this statistic is all about. It's not anyone's prediction of things to come.

Best of luck with that home sale.

I think people need to realize that Jamie sometimes just posts interesting facts that you don't see in most places. People take everything she puts on here so literally like she is saying this fact or that fact is the end all be all. She always notes that this is just another way of looking at housing besides, housing sales price and sales numbers month over month. Thanks Jamie, this is an interesting statistic, but you probably need to NOTE IN BOLD LETTERS THAT THIS IS JUST AN INTERESTING FACT SO PEOPLE DON’T COMMENT ON HOW THIS STATISTIC IS INCORRECT.

WILL DO, M. THANK YOU.

:-)

I'm surprised neither Columbia nor Elicott City are on the "hot" list. Or are they not part of the "Baltimore area" for the purpose of this post?

Jelena, I believe that ZipRealty included the entire Baltimore metro area in its analysis. (Harford and Howard ZIPs are on the list, in any case.)

Columbia and Ellicott City ZIP codes are pretty big, with a fair amount of home-price variety, so it could be that the list-to-sale experience varies.