Sales: According to ValleyMLS.com, Morgan County residential sales totaled 153 units during April, up 6.3 percent from 144 sales in the same month a year earlier. April sales were the same as March sales, both at 153 units. Results were 24.4 percent above the five-year April average of 123 sales. Two more resources to review: Quarterly Report and the Annual Report.
For all Morgan County home sales data, click here.
Inventory: Homes listed for sale in Morgan County in April totaled 356 units, a decrease of 30.7 percent from April 2018’s 514 units, and a decrease of 1.1 percent from March 2019’s 360 units. The April months of supply totaled 2.3 months, a decrease of 34.8 percent from April 2018’s 3.6 months of supply. April’s months of supply decreased 1.1 percent from March’s months of supply.
Pricing: The Morgan County median sales price in April was $146,900, an increase of 3.8 percent from one year ago but a decrease of 8.2 percent from the prior month. This direction is inconsistent with historical data (2014-18) indicating that the April median sales price on average increases from March by 7.4 percent. The differing sample size (number of residential sales of comparative months) can contribute to statistical volatility, including pricing. ACRE recommends consulting with a local real estate professional to discuss pricing, as it will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. The average number of days on the market (DOM) for the homes sold during April was 65 days, a decrease of 3 percent from 67 days in April 2018 and a decrease of 12.2 percent from 74 days in March.
Forecast: April sales were 27 units, or 21.4 percent, above the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s (ACRE) monthly forecast. ACRE projected 126 sales for the month, while actual sales were 153 units. ACRE forecast a total of 435 residential sales in Morgan County year-to-date, while there were 509 actual sales through April.
ACRE’s statewide perspective: While nationwide residential sales dropped 1 percent in April, demand for housing in Alabama remained strong. Statewide residential sales increased 4.4 percent from 5,574 closed transactions in April 2018 to 5,820 in April 2019. Year-to-date, sales increased 3.8 percent from 2018. Home price appreciation in the state continued to climb as the median sales price in April increased 3.2 percent year-over-year from $155,250 to $160,283. The statewide median sales price is also up 3.2 percent year-to-date. Although nationwide inventory levels are trending upward, Alabama’s residential listings decreased 10.7 percent from one year ago. Low inventory levels were a significant factor contributing to rising sales prices throughout 2018 and in the spring buying season of 2019. With low inventory levels, it is not surprising to see homes selling more quickly than in previous years. Homes selling in Alabama during April spent an average of 93 days on the market, an improvement of three days from April 2018.
NAR’s national perspective: During April, total existing-home sales nationwide declined 1.1 percent from approximately 460,000 closed transactions one year ago to 455,000 currently. The nationwide median existing-home price increased 3.6 percent in April, marking 86 consecutive months of year-over-year gains. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, said, “First, we are seeing historically low mortgage rates combined with a pent-up demand to buy, so buyers will look to take advantage of these conditions. Also, job creation is improving, causing wage growth to align with home price growth, which helps affordability and will help spur more home sales.”
Click here to view the entire monthly report.
The Morgan County Residential Monthly Report is developed in conjunction with the Morgan County Association of Realtors to better serve area consumers.