The number of homes sold on Hawaii island, Maui and Kauai rose in October, but median prices were mixed among the three neighbor island housing markets.
Median prices rose the most for Hawaii island single-family homes and fell the most for Kauai condominiums, though the relatively small number of sales in these markets often produces big swings in the median price that can be swayed by the location, size, age and quality of properties.
The median jumped 24 percent for Hawaii island single-family homes to $299,999 last month from $242,000 in the same month last year, according to data from Hawaii Information Service. The median was based on 155 sales last month, up 20 percent from 129 a year earlier.
Some of the jump in median prices for Hawaii island homes was driven by transactions in South Hilo, where there were 15 sales for a median $463,500 last month compared with 18 sales for a median $200,500 a year earlier.
Sales in North Kona, where most single-family home sales occurred, also contributed to the rise in the broad price measure. There were 46 sales in this region for a median $429,000 last month compared with 36 sales for a median $394,500 a year earlier.
In Puna, the second-busiest region for single-family home sales on Hawaii island, there were 42 sales for a median $141,750 last month compared with 32 sales for a median $131,950 a year earlier.
Condominium sales on Hawaii island soared 67 percent to 45 units last month from 27 units a year earlier, but the median price was unchanged at $215,000.
On Maui, single-family home sales surged 32 percent to 98 last month from 74 a year earlier while the median price edged up 1 percent to $487,000 from $482,500, according to the Realtors Association of Maui.
Maui condo sales rose 22 percent to 94 units last month from 77 a year earlier. The median sale price rose 13 percent to $351,495 from $310,000 in the same period.
On Kauai, sales and median prices moved in opposite directions, data from Hawaii Information Service showed.
There were 38 single-family home sales on the Garden Isle last month, a 41 percent gain over 27 sales a year earlier. The median price declined 9 percent to $410,000 from $450,000.
For Kauai condos the number of sales rose 38 percent to 29 last month from 21 a year earlier, while the median price declined 29 percent to $250,000 from $350,000.