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Real Estate Recap February 2024

In looking at the February sales numbers for Haywood County, two items really stand out.  First, our new listings increased 31.3% from February 2023.  Hopefully, this is the beginning of the end of our shortage of homes for sale in the county.  Second, both the median and the average home price fell in February.  The median home price fell to $334,500, a 4.4% drop from February 2023.   The average home price fell to $379,349, a 13% drop from February 2023.  This is the first substantial drop in home prices since before the Covid pandemic.  A lot of this decrease is due to the fact that lower priced home sales increased, while higher end home sales decreased a bit.  If you read our blogs, you know that we have been continually talking about our shortage of inventory here in the county and how that has caused home prices to increase.  Real estate sale prices have always been driven by supply and demand.  When the supply is low, yet demand remains high, prices will indeed increase.  So overall, I believe these numbers represent a positive trend to a more normal market in the future.

Below are some inventory and sales numbers from February 2024:

New listings rose from 67 last year to 88 in February 2024.

Pending sales rose from 72 last year to 76 in February 2024.

Closed sales rose from 57 last year to 58 in February 2024.

The median sales price dropped from $350,000 last year to $334,50o in February 2024.

The average sales price dropped from $436,178 last year to $379,349 in February 2024.  (a 13% decrease)

Number of days on the market until sale dropped from 75 last year to 57 in February 2024.

The average list price of homes rose from $394,615 last year to $453,257 in February 2024.

Our inventory of homes for sale in the county rose from 180 last year to 191 this year.  (a 6.1% increase) This brought our month’s supply of homes for sale from 1.9 months last year to 2.2 months this year.  (Keep in mind that a balanced market is a 5 to 6 month’s supply.  We are still substantially behind in available inventory of homes for sale.)

Please, if you have any questions regarding real estate, give us a call.  We are here to help.

 

 

Musings from the Mountains

As usual for us, late winter temperatures have been a real roller coaster.  Tuesday it was almost 70 degrees here.  Yesterday it got really windy with temperatures falling during the day.  This morning the temperature was 23 degrees at my house.  By Sunday afternoon it is forecast to be in the mid to high 60’s again.

Cataloochee Ski Area is still open and making snow on these cold nights and mornings.   Currently, according to their snow report, they have a 36-to-66-inch base of manmade packed powder, with 5 of 5 lifts operating and 14 of 18 trails open for both day and night skiing.

For a bit of local news, Spectrum Communications is installing fiber-optic cables down Hwy 276 North (Jonathan Creek Road).  They seem to be coming up every holler, and through all the communities and subdivisions that branch off Jonathan Creek Road.  According to the Waynesville Mountaineer Newspaper, this expansion of cable and high-speed internet access is due to a federal grant to expand high-speed internet into areas of the county currently not served by high-speed internet.  From most of the residents that I have spoken with in the Jonathan Creek area, the expanded access is warmly received, and greatly appreciated.

As for some real estate news, the D.R. Horton company is still actively building homes in 2 new subdivisions.  One subdivision (Valleywood Farms) is just off Racoon Road just east of Waynesville.  Another subdivision (Patton Cove) is off Old Clyde Road between Clyde and Canton.  There is also a third subdivision off Jonathan Creek Road.  The infrastructure is installed for this third subdivision, but home building has not yet begun.  Most of the homes being built run from around $400,000 to the mid and high 400’s.  New homes for sale have been difficult to find in our area.  If you would like to see any of these new homes, please let us know.  We would be happy to show you any of these new homes.  They seem to be going under contract even before they are completed.

If you have any questions about real estate, please let us know, we’re here to help.  Our goal is not just to meet new clients, but to make new friends.

Real Estate Recap January 2024

New listings for sale in Haywood County for January 2024 dropped by 27% compared to new listings in January 2023.  Pending sales for January 2024 also dropped by 19% compared to January 2023.  However, closed sales for January 2024 were up 24.5% when compared to January 2023.

Average sale prices of homes that were sold in January were up 13.6% to $429,126 when compared to January 2023.   This continues the trend of home prices increasing in 2024 versus the same month in 2023.

Days on the market until sale increased to 64 days versus 41 days in January 2023.

The average list price of new homes coming on the market decreased to $451,454 from January 2023’s average list price of $497,588.

Inventories of homes for sale in the county continue to drop.  We only have 172 homes for sale currently.  In January 2023 we had 203 homes for sale.  This brings our month’s supply of inventory down to 2 months.  As I have mentioned previously, a balanced real estate market is usually defined as having a 5 to 6 month’s supply of homes on the market.  The current market is definately a seller’s market.

We currently have 3 new housing communities being built and coming on the market, and 2 more communities of new homes in the planning stages.   Hopefully the new houses coming on the market will help the inventory situation.

If you’re thinking about buying a home, please let us know.  We can help!  If you’re thinking of selling your home, let us know.  We will come to your home and do a Comparable Market Analysis for you at no charge.  You may be surprised at what your home is worth in the current real estate market.

 

 

Musings from the Mountains

We’ve experienced a bit of winter weather the last couple of weeks.  However, at my home we’ve only had one 2-inch snowfall, which was gone overnight, and a couple of dustings.  I live about half-way up a mountain, and those who live above 3500- or 4000-feet elevation have had considerable snow.  We did have one morning where the temperature was only 6 degrees at the house, but overall, the temperatures have not been too bad for January.  The weatherman tells me it will be 60 degrees or better tomorrow.  A little heat wave will be welcome indeed.

Cataloochee Ski Area has done an exceptional job of blowing snow this winter, and hopefully has experienced a great ski season.  As of today, Cataloochee has a 36- to 72-inch base of packed powder with 2 inches of natural snow.  5 of 5 lifts are open and 17 of 18 trails are open.  Snow making was in progress this morning and they are open from 9AM to 10PM, currently doing night skiing.  Remember, you can go to www.cataloochee.com and see live webcams from the ski area.

Here’s hoping everyone has a wonderful February!  Remember, if you have any real estate questions, please let us know.  We can help.

 

Real Estate Recap December 2023

In looking at the Haywood County real estate sales results for December, the same trends that we have been discussing are still happening.

In December 2022, we had 61 new listings come on the market.  December 2023 we only had 55 new homes come on the market, an almost 10% decline from last year.

In December 2022, we sold 82 homes.  December 2023 we only sold 62 homes, a 24% decrease from last year, although pending home sales rose 17% from last year partially offsetting the 24% decrease.

In December 2022 the average sales price was $395,084.  December 2023 the average sales price rose over 12% to $442,735.

In December 2022 the average days on the market from list to close was 92 days.  December 2023 this dropped to 78 days.  This was probably a result of fewer homes closing enabling attorneys to close quicker.

In December 2022 we had a 2.5 month’s supply of homes on the market.  December 2023 this fell to 2.2 month’s supply.   (A balanced market is usually defined as a 5 to 6 month’s supply of homes.)

As I said in my opening sentence, the same trends continued in December that have been going on for some time.  Fewer homes on the market leads to higher sales prices as buyers compete for homes to buy.

Please let us know if we can help you find a home.  Also, if you’re thinking of selling a home, let us do a current market analysis for you.  Your home may be worth more than you think.

 

Musings from the Mountains

Wishing everyone a Happy New Year from all of us at Mountain Dreams Realty.

The last 4 years have certainly been challenging in real estate.   We experienced a pandemic starting in 2020.  At the start of the pandemic, none of us knew what was ahead for us in real estate.  I believe that most of us thought the pandemic would really curtail sales, as many of us stayed home more and were reluctant to venture out among the public.  And certainly, at first this happened. However, the pandemic caused many to work from home, rather than go to the office, where they would be more exposed to others.  Then those “at home” workers started realizing they could work from anywhere.  If anywhere was an option, why not go to the mountains, seashore, lake, or other desirable location?  So, a migration of sorts occurred.   Many workers moved to their dream locations.   Those that could afford a second home also joined the migration away from crowded cities.  Real estate sales really started to swell in 2021.  That swell continued into 2022, as many of us in real estate had our best sales year ever in 2022.  Then in 2023, sales began to slow down, although we still had lots of potential buyers.  Lack of inventory became an issue.  Record sales had drastically reduced the number of available homes for sale.  Also, a parallel issue developed.  Inflation was rising too fast for the Federal Reserve, so they began a series of rate increases to slow inflation.  This caused interest rates on 30-year mortgages to rise from the 3 and 4 percent range to the 6 and 7 percent range.  Homeowners with existing mortgages in the 3 percent range were not going to list their homes for sale and upgrade to a newer home with a mortgage rate twice that of their current home.  This created additional pressure on inventory levels, as fewer homes were listed for sale.  Real estate prices have always been based on supply and demand.  As inventories dropped, buyers were competing to purchase fewer homes.  This drove home prices upward almost 50 percent over a 3-year period in some areas.  Consequently, many of us in real estate had record low sales in 2023, in stark contrast to 2022.

So, that is my take on our real estate market for the last 4 years.  What will 2024 bring?  I really don’t know, but I am curious to see how it develops.  Rest assured if you are looking for a home to purchase, or wanting to list your existing home for sale, let us know.  We know the market; we know the area.  Put our expertise to work for you.

Real Estate Recap November 2023

I just wanted to take a moment to reflect on our local market in November.  All the same trends that have been happening for most of 2023 continued in November, no real surprises.

New listings were 5.7% ahead of November 2022, which was a good thing.  Also pending sales were 25% above November 2022, which is a very good thing.  Closed sales in November were down 4% from November 2022, 95 this year versus 99 last year.

The average sales price rose 18.8% from last year to $446,926 in November, while the average listing price for homes rose to $485,908 this year.  Cumulative days on the market until sales rose 10.3% from 39 in November 2022 to 43 this November.

Our inventory of homes for sale in November fell from 268 in November 2022 to 224 this November.  This decrease in inventory resulted in a 2.6 month’s supply of homes compared to a 2.8 month’s supply of homes in 2022.  A balanced market (same number of buyers and sellers in a market) is usually considered between a 5 to 6 month’s supply of homes for sale.

As I mentioned at the beginning, the same trends seem to continue month after month.  Our shrinking supply of homes for sale, contrasted with a persistent supply of buyers, continues to put pressure on home prices, pushing the average home price higher and higher.

Whether you’re thinking about selling or buying, or just have a question, we can help you navigate our market.  Just give us a call or an email, we’re happy to help.

Musings from the Mountains

It seems the very warm November we were having was briefly interrupted by some cooler weather this week.  Also, although we are still pretty dry, recent rains have alleviated our drought conditions somewhat.  Wednesday morning we recorded lows around 17 degrees which is the coolest morning in many months.  The cooler weather was a boon to Cataloochee Ski Area as they opened officially for the ski season.  Cataloochee has a great snow-making crew and state-of-the-art snow-blowing equipment.  They actually opened from the bottom all the way to the top of the mountain, which requires making a huge amount of snow.  This coming week the weatherman is predicting some cool mornings in the 20’s.  So, snow conditions should remain good next week for skiing.  Come on up and take a few runs!

The DOT is still working on two of the bridges over I-40 between mile markers 15 and 20.  Traffic has been backing up several days a week due to the bridge work.  If you are traveling from Waynesville west toward Knoxville, you may want to allow more time for travel.

As you know, we have had a shortage of homes for sale in Western North Carolina, but several new subdivisions have been started with hopes of easing the housing shortage.  Also, there are at least two new apartment complexes that hopefully will ease the rental housing shortage in Haywood County.  One of the large apartment complexes is on Russ Avenue in Waynesville, where the old Bi-Lo Shopping Center was located.  This complex is finally completed and currently taking applications for rentals.

That’s the news from the mountains, please let us know if you have any questions or comments.

 

Real Estate Recap October 2023

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it seems the same trends in real estate sales keep repeating themselves every month.  The big story when analyzing the numbers for October are still low inventories and higher prices.

We had 131 new listing come on the Haywood County market in October 2023, versus 127 new listings in October 2022, for a slight increase of 3.1%.  Even with that slight increase our month’s supply of inventory was 2.6 months, compared to a 2.8 month’s supply in October 2022.  A balanced market is usually defined as a 5 to 6 month’s supply.  (A balanced market is neither a seller’s nor a buyer’s market.)

In Haywood County 78 homes were sold in October 2023 versus 95 homes sold in October 2022, for a decrease of 17.9%.  This decrease was mostly due to the shortage of available homes for sale.  That shortage also resulted in a rise in home prices in October.  The average sales price in October 2023 was $473,879 compared to $369,049 in October 2022, for a whopping 28.4% increase year over year.

Last year in October, the average home was on the market only 35 days until sale.  This year the average days on the market increased to 51 days.

Interest rates are still over 7% for new home sales, which has definitely hindered sales, particularly for first home purchasers.  The higher interest rates are also keeping homes from coming on the market.  Many homeowners with mortgages in the 3% range do not want to sell their homes and risk having a 7%+ interest rate on their new home.

If you are considering buying a new home, or selling your current home, please let us know.  We will share our years of knowledge and help you negotiate this difficult market.

 

 

Musings from the Mountains

Happy Halloween!  As you welcome the little trick or treaters to your door tonight, you’ll feel a bit of a chill in the air.  After a couple of gorgeous Fall days in the 80’s, the weatherman is calling for a low of 21 degrees Wednesday morning and 22 degrees Thursday morning.  These two mornings will produce the coldest temps we have seen this Fall.  Don’t forget, it’s getting time to winterize those second homes, if you’re going away for the Winter.

There has been a lot of discussion lately about the new housing developments coming to the Jonathan Valley area.  3 new developments have been announced that could bring between 300 and 500 homes to the valley.  Some have asked “why all the new homes in one area?”   Two reasons: First, the Jonathan Creek valley has mostly flat land, which is hard to find here in the mountains.  Second, Maggie Valley water and sewer lines run all the way down the 6-mile-long valley.  The developments can survey smaller lots, hook up to Maggie Valley sewer and not have septic tanks, which would require larger lots.  Also, they can hook onto Maggie Valley city water and negate the need for wells.  Maggie Valley has excess capacity to supply both water and sewer to these developments.  To gain access to these utilities the developments will become satellite areas within the Maggie Valley city limits.  Which, undoubtedly, will increase town revenues from the property taxes on these homes.

Some residents are against developing this area, which has been pasture or crop land since it was first settled.  Other residents see the need for more homes, as it is becoming more difficult to find a home to purchase, particularly in lower to mid-price ranges.  It becomes a glass half full, or half empty question, with both sides making valid points.  Some residents cite traffic issues, but I don’t see that as much of a problem.   Jonathan Creek Road (Hwy 276) was widened to a divided 4 lane highway when it served as temporary Interstate 40.  The last section of I-40 through these mountains was between what is now Exit 27 and Exit 20.  I-40 at Exit 27 moved you to the Smoky Mountain Expressway, then by Lake Junaluska, and then out Jonathan Creek Road to rejoin I-40 at the present Exit 20.  That section of I-40 was opened in 1974 if I remember correctly.

Well, that’s the news from the mountains.  Remember, it’s only 3 weeks to Thanksgiving.  Time to start deciding the menu.