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Nearly than 1 in 3 Greater Hartford homes sold above asking price in September, according to new research from real estate listings and data company Zillow detailing just how fierce competition for new homes has been this summer and fall.

The share of homes selling over list price in the area jumped from 15.1 percent in September 2019 to 29.6 percent in September 2020, Zillow said. Homes that sold above list typically went for $9,100 more than their list price.

The most-sought-after homes are in the lower-middle fifth of the market, between $182,993 and $238,113. Of homes in that price range that sold in September, 38.1 percent sold above list, however significant shares of homes in all quintiles sold above list price. The lowest share of any was in the most-expensive quintile, where only 20.5 percent of homes sold above list price.

Nationally, 22.4 percent of homes purchased in the U.S. were sold for more than their initial list price, up from 20.2 percent in August and well above the roughly 15 percent of homes that did so during September 2018 and 2019. It is highly unusual for the share of homes sold above list to continue rising this late in the year, Zillow said, indicating just how much later the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed the typical homebuying season.

In both 2018 and 2019, the share peaked in July during the height of the typical home shopping season before steadily declining as the market cooled in the fall and winter months. This year, the share has increased each month.

“The housing market is taking us all back to Economics 101 and teaching lessons about supply and demand,” Zillow senior economist Chris Glynn said in a statement. “A persistent interest in buying and moving is creating an imbalance that is driving prices higher than we typically see at this time of year. In many cases, buyers in this market should be realistic about the chance of bidding wars and leave themselves financial flexibility by looking at homes listed for less than their maximum price point.  With tight inventory, low interest rates, and robust demand from households re-evaluating their housing needs, a strong, competitive market with many transactions is likely here to stay into 2021.”

Bidding wars, Zillow said, appeared to be the chief cause of the increases across the country.