Sales: According to ValleyMLS.com, Athens/Limestone County residential sales totaled 199 units during May, up 9.3% from 182 sales in the same month a year earlier. May sales were up 2.6% compared to 194 sales in April. Results were 49.6% above the five-year May average of 133 sales. Two more resources to review: Quarterly Report and  Annual Report.  

For all Athens/Limestone County area housing data, click here.

Inventory: Homes listed for sale in the Athens area in May totaled 385 units, a decrease of 20.6% from May 2018’s 485 units and an increase of 4.6% from April 2019’s 368 units. May months of supply totaled 1.9 months, a decrease of 27.4% from May 2018’s 2.7 months of supply. May’s months of supply increased 2% from April’s months of supply.

Pricing: The Athens median sales price in May was $225,000, an increase of 17% from one year ago and an increase of 12.5% from the prior month. This direction is consistent with historical data (2014-18) indicating that the May median sales price on average increases from April by 8%. 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 May spent an average of 47 days on the market (DOM), a decrease of 33.8% from 71 days in May 2018 and a decrease of 2.1% from 48 days in April.

Forecast: May sales were 10 units, or 5.29%, above the Alabama Center for Real Estate’s (ACRE) monthly forecast. ACRE projected 189 sales for the month, while actual sales were 199 units. ACRE forecast a total of 754 residential sales in the Athens area year-to-date, while there were 825 actual sales through May.

ACRE’s statewide perspective: Statewide residential sales increased slightly in May, extending the streak to five consecutive months of year-over-year sales gains. Statewide residential sales increased 1.4% from 6,306 closed transactions in May 2018 to 6,392 in May 2019. Year-to-date, sales are up 3.2% from 2018. Home price appreciation in the state continued to climb as the median sales price in May increased 4.3% year-over-year from $165,688 to $172,864. The statewide median sales price is also up 3.4% year-to-date. Although nationwide inventory levels are trending upward, Alabama’s residential listings decreased 11.6% 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 May spent an average of 88 days on the market, an improvement of 12 days from May 2018.

NAR’s national perspective: Existing home sales rebounded in May, posting their first year-over-year gain since August 2018. Nationwide sales increased 0.9% from approximately 535,000 closed transactions one year ago to 540,000 currently. The nationwide median existing-home price increased 4.8% in May, marking 87 consecutive months of year-over-year gains. Lawrence Yun, chief economist for the National Association of Realtors, said, “The purchasing power to buy a home has been bolstered by falling mortgage rates, and buyers are responding.”

Click here to view the entire monthly report. 

The Athens-Limestone Monthly report is developed in conjunction with the Athens-Limestone Association of Realtors to better serve its area consumers.