I’m helping out with a secret open house in Hampton this evening. I can’t say where I’ll be or advertise on the socials anywhere. Thems the rules. I’ll give you a few hints:
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The house is not 5 Ina Avenue.
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The list price is $1,520,000
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This open runs from 4:30pm to 6pm.
If you find me tonight and tell me the secret agent passcode, I’ll buy you a cup of coffee.
And because I’ll be in Hampton this evening, I figured we’d take a gander at the Hampton, New Hampshire, real estate market. Here’s the snapshot:
Active single-family home Listings: 34
Closed Sales (Last 6 Months): 54
Pending Sales: 6
Days on Market (DOM):
Highest: 100
Lowest: 0
Average: 18
Median: 8
Lowest List Price: $145,000
Lowest Sold Price: $135,000
Average List Price: $735,378
Average Sold Price: $722,976
Median List Price: $692,000
Median Sold Price: $701,750
Highest List Price: $1,800,000
Highest Sold Price: $1,700,000
What I find interesting is that we have fewer single-family homes sold in Hampton today than we did during the 2008 Great Recession and housing crisis. But look at how long a property sat on the market in 2008 compared to 2025?
Gadzooks, it took forever to sell a house in 2008 – 2012. Compared to today’s 18 days. I had a conversation the other day with a Concord Realtor who said she felt better about the real estate market because the whole business was getting back to normal. I told her I’ve only been in the real estate for 4 years. “What do you mean, normal?” I asked.
“Well, you know. Takes at least a month to sell a house these days. And prices are finally dropping.”
Sigh. I feel like I keep reminding people I’ve already written about the longer days on market and the HUGE price drops we’ve been seeing lately.
I *think* you *might* be able to see the small dip in median price on the blue line in the graph below. Wait. Nope. That’s just a smudge on your screen. Basically, in Hampton, every house sells at or above ask. And, if you had purchased a house way back in 2000, and if you powered through the Great Recession holding your land, your house experienced ~225% appreciation.
Hampton used to be a sub-$500k town. Today, the “normal house” sits $500k to $750k, pushing towards $1 million. The luxury tier has exploded post-2020 with 82 closings in the past 5 years compared to just 26 luxury listings in the prior 20 years.
The graph below clearly shows the Pandemic era pretty much destroyed that sub $500k range. Notice too the thin blue $1m line: we’re starting to see that trend catch up to the $500k to $750k band.
In fact, out of the 35 active listings in Hampton right now, 9 are a million-plus.
26 Kings Highway $1,150,000
🛏️5 beds 🛁3 baths 📏2,656 SqFt
5 Fellows Avenue $1,222,000
🛏️4 beds, 🛁4 baths 📏2,002 SqFt
6 Cora Avenue $1,299,900
🛏️3 beds, 🛁4 baths 📏2,376 SqFt
338 High Street $1,399,900
🛏️4 beds, 🛁4 baths 3,000 SqFt
330 High Street $1,499,900
🛏️4 beds, 🛁4 baths 📏3,200 SqFt
3 Playhouse Circle $1,520,000
🛏️5 beds, 🛁4 baths 📏3,351 SqFt
745 Ocean Boulevard $1,585,000
🛏️4 beds, 🛁3 baths 📏2,214 SqFt
7-11 Redman Street $1,600,000
🛏️4 beds, 🛁3 baths 📏3,038 SqFt
30 Ancent Highway $1,875,000
🛏️3 beds, 🛁4 baths, 📏2,782 SqFt
5 of the 8 listings dropped their original price. The cuts ranged from ~70k to $215k.
745 Ocean Boulevard was sneaky, too. Originally listed on May 23 at $1,799,000. Reduced the price to $1,699,000 in August. And then re-entered the database with a new MLS number and reduced it again to $1,585,000 to game the algorithm. But you’re not fooling anyone, 745 Ocean Boulevard. Except maybe the computers. Or the agents who don’t look at a property’s History button.
Uhm. Two Hampton properties are listed in the mid two-millions. Just sayin’.
But for these beautiful, pricey luxury homes, the line in the Hampton Beach sand for buyers is $1.05 million. Anything above that price point in Hampton, unless there is something super special about the house, like a hidden speakeasy tiki bar, a ceiling aquarium, secret loft nooks, a pizza oven meets oyster pit, mood lighting, a whale skeleton chandelier, or rum locker.
Anything outside of that 1.05, you’re going to see at a minimum long days on market. If not, price reductions.
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31 Cliff Avenue listed at 1,700,000, reduced price to 1,300,000, and sold for 1,000,000.
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214 Mill Road listed at 1,299,900, and sold for 1,000,000.
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3 Gale Road listed at 1,329,000, reduced price to 1,095,000, and sold for 1,050,000.
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713 Ocean Boulevard listed at 1,200,000, reduced price to 1,100,000, and sold for 1,075,000.
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6 Downer Drive listed at 1,149,000, and sold for 1,115,000
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5 Great Boars Head listed for 1,800,000, and sold for 1,700,000
195 Island Path is our outlier listed for $1,150,000, sold for $1,175,000. But man, when I look out my home office window, I don’t see across into an Atlantic marsh. I see a lilac bush that needs trimming.
But check this out:
27 Saint Cyr listed for 985,000, sold for 1,000,000.
3 Swett listed 985,000 sold for 1,000,000.
And 6 Cora Avenue is interesting to me because at $1.299M, we’re already edging into 15 days. If Cora is going to sell, it’ll sell soon.
The real news in Hampton isn’t the million-dollar-plus homes, though. The real estate market caffeine is in the $500k to $750k homes, where over the last six months’ worth of closings, we watched 23 homes close. Over half sold for more than what the owners asked for. Only 4 price drops. All of this with an average of 17 days, 7 median from the time the home hit the market, to the time the property contracted.
So. Anyway. That’s Hampton right now: the million-dollar homes wobbling, and the $500k-$750k’s powering the whole market.
But hey, why just read the charts when you could come see the circus in person? Come find me 4:30pm to 6pm, tell me the secret agent passcode, and the coffee’s on me.
The secret agent passcode?
Just ask where the whale skeleton chandelier is located.
The Bare Bones Numbers 💀📉
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📍 Statewide New Hampshire Housing Market
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Active Listings: 2,639
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Closed Sales (Last 6 Months): 5,076
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Pending Sales: 799
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Median Days on Market (DOM): 7
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Median Home Price: $648,000
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Inventory: 3.1 months
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NH Median Household Income: $96,838
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Mortgage Rate: 6.51%
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Affordability Index: 62
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📍 Seacoast Area
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Active Listings: 392
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Closed Transactions (Last 6 Months): 985
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Pending Transactions: 186
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Days on Market (DOM):
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Highest: 104
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Average: 10
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Median: 6
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Pricing Trends:
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Lowest List Price: $145,000
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Lowest Sold Price: $92,251
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Average List Price: $749,590
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Average Sold Price: $755,381
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Median List Price: $625,000
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Median Sold Price: $631,000
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📍 Tri-City Area (Dover, Somersworth, Rochester)
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Active Listings: 74
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📍 Durham, Newmarket, Madbury & Lee
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Active Listings: 27
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📍 Portsmouth & Newington
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Active Listings: 33
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PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
🛏️3 Beds, 🛁2 Baths, 📏1,725 sq ft, $590,000
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Estimated payment: $3,108/mo
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Estimation provided by Keller Williams Realty Inc.
Contact a mortgage broker today!
Price Improvement & Motivated seller! Welcome to easy seaside living just minutes from the sandy shores of Hampton Beach. This thoughtfully maintained 3-bedroom, 2-bath home offers a perfect blend of charm, comfort, and year-round functionality. The open-concept first floor features beautiful hardwood and tile flooring, vaulted ceilings, and seamless flow between the spacious kitchen, dining, and living areas—ideal for entertaining or relaxing at home. A separate laundry room adds convenience, while energy-efficient mini splits provide heating and cooling throughout the seasons. Each bedroom offers generous closet space and natural light, creating cozy and comfortable retreats.
Enjoy peaceful mornings on the front porch, summer evenings on the back deck, and rinse off in the outdoor shower after a day at the beach. The partially fenced yard is perfect for pets, gardening, or entertaining, and includes a handy shed for extra storage. Located in a quiet neighborhood with private beach access. Just a 5-minute bike ride or 20-minute walk to the boardwalk, under 10 minutes to Route 95, and less than an hour to Boston—this is New England beachside living at its finest. As an added bonus, the new owner will receive a parking pass for free access to the main beach—making it even easier to enjoy everything this vibrant seaside community has to offer. Join us this Saturday Sept 6th 11a-1p at the open house!
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