Despite a decrease in the number of homes sold in the county in July compared to the same month last year, Brunswick County Realtors say the market is holding steady.

The number of units sold declined from 406 in July 2015 to 347 last month, a 14.5 percent decrease, according to the latest statistics from the Brunswick County Association of Realtors, released Monday.

Additionally, total sales for the month were $83.8 million compared to about $91.3 million during the same period the previous year, an 8 percent drop. The average price of a home in the county decreased slightly from last July -- $242,065 to $241,558.

Other statistics are showing consistent, healthy trends, BCAR officials said Monday.

“The months of supply continues to drop, and the continued drop of months on the market and days on the market are both still strong numbers indicating it’s still going to be a very good year,” said Jim Goodman, president of BCAR. Goodman is also vice president of sales and broker in charge at the Margaret Rudd & Associates Oak Island sales office.

The average number of days on the market in Brunswick County held steady at about four months, lower in comparison to the same time last year, BCAR's release said. Brunswick County's absorption rate decreased from 11 months in 2015 to 8.5 months in 2016, while the number of new listings has remained steady through 2016 and is trending lower than 2015, said Cynthia Walsh, CEO of BCAR, in a news release Monday.

“Brunswick County’s real estate market has experienced steady strength throughout 2016,” Walsh said in the release. “The local market is demonstrating consistency, and a consistent market is a strong market. This stability enhances sellers' ability to more accurately project how long their home will be on the market."
 

Brunswick home sales stats for July 

Listings	Units sold	Avg. sale price	Total volume
2015: 599	406	$242,065	$91,260,000
2016: 522	347	$241,558	$83,820,000
-12.9%	-14.5%	-0.2%	-8.2%