Closing of homes in Alachua County in September were up 30 percent from sales for September last year, continuing the momentum of recent months. The closings increased to 169 from 130. In addition, pending sales were up 36.5 percent, pointing toward potentially high closings for October, according to the Gainesville Multiple Listings Service. Median days on the market were down 31 percent from last September to this September, to 95 days from 156.
“It’s a full-blown seller’s market,” said Craig Wilburn, leader of Team Dynamo of Bosshardt Realty. “Your home will sell quickly, if it shows well and is priced right.”
The inventory of 1,360 homes listed in the MLS—which would equate to a seven-month supply—is deceptive, Wilburn said. “Probably less than 50 percent of the listings are positioned right to sell. The saleable market is much smaller than the visible market.”
The median sales price was up only 4.7 percent from September 2012 to September 2013, now standing at $158,000. The median sales price in August of this year was $170,000. It’s hard to draw conclusions from comparisons of monthly median sales prices, Wilburn said, because the sales of a few high-priced homes can skew prices up one month.
“Prices vary from one micro-market to another micro-market,” Wilburn said. “They’re rising in Tioga and staying high in the Duckpond, but they’re relatively flat in other areas.”