Sales: According to ValleyMLS.com, Huntsville-area home sales totaled 679 units during September, up 3.8% from 654 sales in the same month a year earlier. September sales were down 21.3% compared to 863 sales in August. Results were 21.9% above the five-year September average of 557 sales. Two more resources to review: Quarterly Report and Annual Report.

For all Huntsville-area housing data, click here.

Inventory: Homes listed for sale in the Huntsville area during September totaled 1,226 units, a decrease of 25.5% from September 2018’s 1,646 units and a decrease of 0.4% from August 2019’s 1,231 units. Huntsville experienced a year-over-year decline in months of supply. September’s months of supply totaled 1.8 months, a decrease of 28.3% from September 2018’s 2.5 months of supply and an increase of 26.6% from August 2019’s 1.4 months of supply.

Pricing: The Huntsville median sales price in September was $218,000, an increase of 6.6% from one year ago and a decrease of 2.2% from the prior month. The differing sample size (number of residential sales of comparative months) can contribute to statistical volatility, including pricing. ACRE highly recommends consulting with a local real estate professional to discuss pricing trends, as they will vary from neighborhood to neighborhood. The homes selling in September spent an average of 34 days on the market (DOM), a decrease of 29.2% from 48 days in September 2018 and a decrease of 5.6% from 36 days in August.

Forecast: September sales were 22 units, or 3.4%, above the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s (ACRE) monthly forecast. ACRE projected 657 sales for the month, while actual sales were 679 units. ACRE forecast a total of 5,777 residential sales in the Huntsville area year-to-date, while there were 6,155 sales through September.

ACRE’s statewide perspective: A strong late-summer buying season continued in August as total residential sales increased 7.5% year-over-year from 5,862 to 6,302 closed transactions. Year-to-date, sales are up 3.8% from 2018, a record year for residential sales. Home price appreciation in the state continued to climb as the median sales price in August increased 8.1% year-over-year, marking 22 consecutive months of gains. The statewide median sales price is up 4.7% year-to-date. While nationwide inventory levels (active listings) decreased 2.6% year-over-year, Alabama’s residential listings continue to tighten, decreasing 12.6% from one year ago. Low inventory levels were a significant factor contributing to rising sales prices throughout 2018 and in the summer buying season of 2019. With low inventory levels, it is not surprising to see homes selling at a slightly quicker pace than one year ago. Homes selling in Alabama during August spent an average of 86 days on the market, a decrease of nine days from August 2018.

NAR’s national perspective: After a 3.3% gain in July, existing home sales decreased 0.9% year-over-year in August from approximately 539,000 closed transactions one year ago to 534,000 currently. The nationwide median existing-home price increased 4.7% in August, marking 90 consecutive months of year-over-year gains. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, said, “As expected, buyers are finding it hard to resist the current (mortgage) rates. The desire to take advantage of these promising conditions is leading more buyers to the market.” He continued, “Sales are up, but inventory numbers remain low and are thereby pushing up home prices. Homebuilders need to ramp up new housing, as the failure to increase construction will put home prices in danger of increasing at a faster pace than income.”

Click here to view the entire monthly report.

The Huntsville-Madison County Residential Monthly Report is developed in conjunction with the Huntsville Area Association of Realtors and ValleyMLS.com to better serve its area customers.