May marked the first month this year that home sale numbers for Brunswick, Bladen and Columbus counties did not improve over the previous month, according to statistics released Wednesday by the Brunswick County Association of Realtors.

Other numbers were down, too, according to a news release from the association, especially the sale of distressed lots, which reflected an 83 percent drop (from 18 lots to three) over last May. Interim BCAR CEO Cynthia Cumbie said that decrease, however, is a positive sign that could mean good news for future land and home sales.

While the association reported a slight decrease in sales compared to April, the number of single-family homes sold in May was up 4 percent over the same month last year in the three counties.
 
“These latest figures emphasize the fact that the real estate market in Brunswick, Columbus and Bladen counties is moving forward,” Cumbie said.

Home sales in Brunswick County alone, mostly the southern portions covered by the multiple listing service the BCAR uses, rose from 196 in May 2014 to 224 in May this year. “In Brunswick County, it’s noteworthy that the percentage of units sold increased more than 14 percent, even though there was a slight decrease in the number of listings," Cumbie said.
 
Inventory figures changed, too, she said.  “There are definite pockets in Brunswick County that have very low inventory right now,” Cumbie explained, noting that months-of-inventory is down to four months in Boiling Spring Lakes, while days on the market – 160 - is average for 2015.

The release said months-of-inventory statistics were similar in the Shallotte area.

 

May single family and lot sale statistics (Brunswick Co. only)

Listings	Units sold	Avg. price	Total volume	Lots sold	Avg. lot price
2014: 438	196	$251,943	$49,090,540	112	$69,701
2015: 421	224	$245,431	$56,095,150	88	$60,140
-3.9%	14.3%	-2.2%	14.3%	-21.4%	-13.7%