Winter proves a hard sell for houses

The Real Estate Institute of Tasmania September Quarter Property Report showed an 11.7 per cent drop in house sales for the quarter and a 23.2 per cent drop in sales compared with the 2009 September quarter.

Launceston property consultant Courtney Hogan said the winter months were generally quieter and that since the end of September, business was picking up.

"We've just had a really good October with some of our sales properties being on the market for two to three weeks," she said.

REIT president Adrian Kelly said the median house price remained steady for the September quarter at $310,000 but recorded a 7.6 per cent increase for the year.

"Of the three main areas around the state, Hobart recorded the only median house price increase for the quarter, up 3.7 per cent, while Launceston's median house price decreased by 4.7 per cent to sit at $267,500," he said.

"Although Burnie's median house price increased for both the quarter and the year, the North-West centre as a whole dropped 3per cent for the quarter."

Mr Kelly said there were five municipalities in Tasmania recording a median house prices higher than that of the state median - Clarence, Glamorgan-Spring Bay, Hobart, Kentish and Kingborough.

In the North, East Launceston and Prospect Vale were the two most expensive suburbs.

Miss Hogan said East Launceston was popular for its Federation style homes and its proximity to the city and schools.

"There's a lot of newer subdivisions in the Prospect area," she said.

"It's close to a lot of popular schools as well so it's popular with families."

According to the REIT report, second home buyers made up a 57 per cent share of the market for the quarter and investors accounted for 14 per cent of the buyer market.

First home buyers increased by 3 per cent over the quarter, accounting for 14 per cent of house sales.