- David Harris
- Managing Editor-Charlotte Business Journal
Home sales in the Charlotte region jumped 15.7 percent in December from a year ago, according to the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association. That helped push local home sales for the year 4.8 percent higher than the total for 2013, the association says.
Carolina Multiple Listing Service figures show that 3,050 homes were sold in the region last month, up from 2,635 sold in December 2013.
The average sales price last month was $229,437, rising 2.4 percent from a year earlier. The median sales price last month was $180,000, an increase of 4.3 percent from December 2013.
Pending sales last month totaled 2,430, a jump of 28.5 percent from a year earlier.
However, the market's housing inventory declined 14.2 percent in December from a year earlier, leaving the region with a 4.1-month supply of homes for sale. A housing supply of six months is generally considered a balanced market between buyers and sellers.
For the year, 36,191 were sold in the Charlotte region, increasing from the market's 34,525 closings in 2013.
The average sales price in 2014 was $231,308, up 4.1 percent from the 2013 average. The median sales price last year was $180,000, an increase of 4.5 percent from 2013.
"At the beginning of 2014 inventory was pinched and buyers were facing new mortgage rules, but that did not put a damper on last year's sales," Maren Brisson-Kuester, president of the association and the CarolinaMLS, said in a news release Thursday morning. "Though low inventory, seller confidence and higher mortgage rates could be factors in 2015, demand continues to be strong while price gains continue to moderate. With more financing options and programs available to first-time home buyers, along with rising rents and a strengthening local economy, we expect to see more buyers come to the market."
