Baby boomers lovin’ island livin’

​​​GALVESTON – The housing market has come a long way since 2008, when Hurricane Ike devastated the Gulf Coast region. The beach expansions have renewed interest in Galveston’s vacation homes, according to Galveston Realtor Andrea Sunseri.

Despite a slight dip in sales activity in 2015, Galveston’s housing market has rebounded from the oil slump as a growing number of retiring Baby Boomers and empty-nesters are coming to live and play in Galveston.

Buyers are attracted to Galveston’s beachfront homes, which are generally more affordable than those in retirement hotspots like Florida, Sunse​ri said.

However, a lack of home inventory on the island is driving up sales activity—and prices.

Median home prices have jumped 19 percent between 2013 and 2016.

​​At the same time, the average number of days a home listing stays on the market has been halved, from 144 days in 2013 to just 78 days in 2016, according to Houston Association of Realtors (HAR).​​