2011 is now just a vision in our rear view mirror but before we get too far down the road and into a new year, we wanted to give you a brief look back at the local real estate market here in the Brevard, NC area and the various ups and downs that happened during this past year.  There is so much on the news about real estate (and don’t we all wish for a speedy and full recovery!) but real estate is a regional, even local issue so here is what has happened here in our back yard.

So which way did the market go? The good news is the number of residential sales in our area was up for the second year in a row. There were 308 single family homes sold in the Brevard area during 2011, up by 20 over 2010 and up by 66 over 2009. The average list price was $281,000 which is about a 4.5% decrease compared to 2010 and the average selling price was $247,000 or roughly a 7% drop. The bulk of sales for the last two years has consistently been in the $100K-$300K price range.  We are still a long way off from the “rock and roll” days of 2006, and we may never get back to those days, but at least these are encouraging signs and hopefully indicative of good things to come.

When the housing industry began it’s decline, it took over a year for us to feel the real effect here. And when it did reach us, the adjustments needed have not been as great as they have been in other parts of our country, primarily because our market was not grossly overpriced and “bloated” like other markets.

The one area that has not shown signs of snapping back quickly is in land sales. That segment of the market is dramatically different than it was back in 2006. As such, it’s a difficult time for sellers, but a very good opportunity for buyers who are interested in buying land, even if it’s to hold onto for the future.

For a closer look at all the numbers, visit us at BrevardNCProperty.com, or give us a call at 828-551-6291.