Home sales were strongest in the suburbs during the first three months of the year, according to the Hottest Communities in the Houston Area report from the Houston Association of REALTORS® (HAR).

The area of Porter/New Caney West, located about 30 miles northeast of downtown Houston, saw the largest year-over-year increase in home sales in the first quarter, with transactions up 121%. The community previously ranked No. 4 in the fourth quarter of 2023.

Notably, this area — and most of the hottest areas on HAR’s list — had an average sales price below the Houston-area average of $412,464. The average home in the Porter/New Caney West area sold for $283,343 after spending 48 days on the market.

“We’re seeing a trend of consumers prioritizing affordability without sacrificing lifestyle,” HAR Chair Thomas Mouton said in the report. “Many of these suburban communities are responding with a surge of new construction, offering modern homes at attractive price points.”

Porter/New Caney West was followed by Conroe Southeast, where sales increased by 85.7% year over year; the Crosby area, up 82.2%; Conroe Northeast, up 47.9%; the Cleveland area, up 47.6%; Waller, up 43.6%; La Marque, up 43.2%; 1960/Cypress, up $40.9%, Medical Center South, up 39.1%; and the eastern part of the Humble area, up 38.3%.

HAR also examined the hottest luxury communities in the greater Houston area. The community with the largest annual increase in home sales was Memorial West, with transactions up 33.3% year over year. The average home there sold for $1,136,141 after spending 36 days on the market.

However, the rest of the hottest luxury communities on the list actually saw year-over-year decreases in sales transactions. Braeswood Place ranked No. 2, with sales down 8.3% year over year, followed by Briargrove (-9.1%), the Rice/Museum District (-12.2%) and the West University/Southside area (-14.3%).