Lakes Region waterfront sales comparisons: 2022 versus 2023

We’re getting near the end of the year, and I thought I would pull up the closed sales on area lakes, comparing 2023 to 2022, year to date (January through Dec. 5). I included island properties in my comparisons. The results were pretty amazing. Of the 10 lakes I compared, seven of them had major sales price increases over the previous year. However, the number of sales dropped or stayed the same on seven of the lakes because of the shortage of listings, and six of the lakes saw days on the market increase. Here are the self-explanatory statistics:

Lake Winnipesaukee

2023: 85 listings closed with an average selling price of $2.9 million, and a median selling price of $2.1 million (19.6% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $410,000 to $14 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 45 days and a median of 12 days.

2022: 98 listings closed with an average selling price of $2.3 million and a median selling price of $1.8 million. Prices ranged from $400,000 to $12.3 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 30 days and a median of 10 days.

Lake Winnisquam

2023: 12 listings closed with an average selling price of $1.6 million and a median selling price of $1.5 million (11% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $698,000 to $3.5 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 38 days and a median of 24 days.

2022: 18 listings closed with an average selling price of $1.6 million and a median selling price of $1.4 million. Prices ranged from $650,000 to $3.5 million. Listings were on the market for an average of seven days and a median of six days.

Lake Waukewan

2023: Five listings closed with an average selling price of $1.08 million and a median selling price of $1.3 million (53.3% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $425,000 to $1.5 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 59 days and a median of three days.

2022: Five listings closed with an average selling price of $1.06 million and a median selling price of $880,000. Prices ranged from $650,000 to $1.6 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 99 days and a median of 91 days.

Lake Opechee

2023: One listing closed with a sales price of $775,000 and was on the market for 27 days.

2022: Three listings closed with an average selling price of $1.5 million and a median selling price of $1.4 million. Prices ranged from $1.4 million to $1.6 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 13 days and a median of eight days.

Lake Wentworth

2023: Four listings closed with an average selling price of $1.5 million and a median selling price of $1.6 million (0.64% decrease over 2022). Prices ranged from $1.1 to $1.8 million. Listings were on the market for an average of six days and a median of eight days.

2022: Three listings closed with an average selling price of $2 million and a median selling price of $1.6 million. Prices ranged from $901,000 to $3.5 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 12 days and a median of 14 days.

Merrymeeting Lake

2023: Four listings closed with an average selling price of $1.3 million and a median selling price of $1.17 million (1.87% decrease over 2022). Prices ranged from $435,000 to $2.3 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 83 days and a median of eight days.

2022: Eight listings closed with an average selling price of $1.2 million and a median selling price of $1.2 million. Prices ranged from $950,000 to $1.5. Listings were on the market for an average of 24 days and a median of 12 days.

Lake Kanasatka

2023: Three listings closed with an average selling price of $842,166 and a median selling price of $911,500 (27% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $700,000 to $915,000. Listings were on the market for an average of nine days and a median of eight days.

2022: Five listings closed with an average selling price of $845,800 and a median selling price of $715,000. Prices ranged from $650,000 to $1.3 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 12 days and a median of six days.

Ossipee Lake

2023: 12 listings closed with an average selling price of $1.5 million and a median selling price of $1.5 million (10.1% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $740,000 to $2.3 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 48 days and a median of 37 days.

2022: Eight listings closed with an average selling price of $1.4 million and a median selling price of $1.4 million. Prices ranged from $307,000 to $2.5 million. Listings were on the market for an average of nine days and a median of seven days.

Newfound Lake

2023: 11 listings closed with an average selling price of $2.6 million and a median selling price of $1.8 million (40.4% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $1 million to $8.8 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 37 days and a median of 11 days.

2022: Six listings closed with an average selling price of $1.2 million and a median selling price of $1.3. Prices ranged from $796,000-$1.4 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 37 days and a median of 22 days.

Squam Lake

2023: Six listings closed with an average selling price of $6.1 million and a median selling price of $6 million (87.5% increase over 2022). Prices ranged from $4.3 to $7.9 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 21 days and a median of four days.

2022: Six listings closed with an average selling price of $4.07 million and a median selling price of $3.2 million. Prices ranged from $1.5 to $8 million. Listings were on the market for an average of 24 days and a median of 13 days.

You can see from the above our area lakes showed considerable appreciation. Can you believe Squam Lake experienced an 87.5% increase in the median sales price over the previous year?

Lake Waukewan had a 53.3% increase. Newfound Lake had a 40.4% increase, and Lake Winnipesaukee had a 19.6% increase. These historic numbers are certainly raising eyebrows. It will be really interesting to see how 2024 unfolds on the waterfront.

•••

Frank Roche is president of Roche Realty Group with offices in Meredith and Laconia, and can be reached at 603-279-7046. Data was compiled by a NEREN search on Dec. 5, 2023, and is subject to change. Visit rocherealty.com to learn more about the Lakes Region and its real estate market.