Home prices rose again in July, and inventory tightened yet again, continuing a trend that we have been stuck in for some time. This makes first time buyers more hesitant to enter the market and keeps sellers from listing as they are afraid of not being able to find a comparable home.
Jason Gentry, president of the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association says “Without a doubt, limited inventory continues to pressure prices across the region, while also effectively slowing sales during what’s typically our prime selling season. Demand and pending contract activity remain strong, which means buyers must move quickly to purchase the home they want.”
When you look at the numbers for the Charlotte region, average home prices were up 6.7% from this time last year. In 2017 the average sale price was $276,434, in 2018 it has risen to $290,486. When you look at the longer trend, in 2012 the average sale price was just $219,867.
In July of 2012 there were 18,228 homes for sale in the Charlotte region. This July, there are just 9,790 homes for sale. Those 9,790 homes represent a 2.4 month supply of inventory. This is well below the 4-6 months supply that would normally signal a balanced market between buyers and sellers.
All of these numbers come from the recently released report based on data from the Carolina Multiple Listing Services. The numbers show that closed sales were down this month over July of last year by 2.8%. This is concerning as it occurs during what is normally the busiest time in the yearly cycle for sales.
New listings were down 0.4% year over year which leads us to believe that the market is due for a further slow down. We will have to watch and see what happens in August to be sure if this is indeed the trend.
Pending sales on the other hand were up substantially from this time last year. In July of 2017, there were 4,398 pending sales. This July, there are 4,947, an increase of 12.5%. If all of these head to the closing table, we should see a rise in sales for next month.
It is taking less time for homes to sell once they are put up on the market as well. Homes are staying on the market for an average of 83 days from list to close. From the time of list until the sale is just 36 days. This means that buyers have to be completely ready to go when they find the home they want.
If you are looking to buy or sell in the Charlotte area, give us a call at (704) 525-4045. You can view current listings and create custom searches on our website here.