Gulf Shores home sales in May were greater than in any other May since 2008, while home prices continued to rise. Sales are on a four-month trend in which they were higher than both the previous month and the same month in the previous year.
Many positive factors are contributing to a strong housing market this year. Job growth and wages are slowly improving, while rents are increasing rapidly and mortgages are becoming much more accessible. When these factors are coupled with continuing low interest rates, the result is a growing number of consumers with the confidence to buy or sell a home.
Completed transactions in May were 8.9 percent higher than in April and 3.5 percent higher than May 2014. The median sales price of homes sold has risen for 40 consecutive months.
Prices Increasing Along With Gulf Shores Home Sales
Gulf Shores home prices also continued to increase. In May, the median price was 7.8 percent above the price seen last year. The average month-over-month increase for the first five months of 2015 has been 3.6 percent.
Looking beyond the Gulf Shores area, thirty-eight metro areas across the country reported higher sales on a year-over-year basis, with 11 reporting double digit increases in May.
The average days on market, or the number of days between when a home is first listed in an MLS and a sales contract is signed for all homes sold in May dropped seven days from April to 64, and two days below the average of 66 in last year.
The inventory of homes for sale increased by 0.4 percent from April, the first time back-to-back monthly increases occurred since May and June 2014. As home sales continue to grow, the months' supply of inventory in May was 3.6 on a scale where six months indicates a market balanced equally between buyers and sellers.
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