Happy summer, everyone! I know the calendar says we have a couple more weeks or so before the official start of summer, but if you’re like me, the first sizzle of a hotdog on Memorial Day weekend kicks off the season in style.
In the real estate world, summertime is more than Coppertone and watermelon and swimming in the lake. It is the busiest time for home sales — particularly for families with kids in school.
Year-to-date waterfront home sales are up 45% over last year’s, and 35% over the 2019 year-to-date sales. May sales were a bit below average, with 12 waterfront homes sold on the lake:
In the chart above, the green line represents the number of waterfront homes sold on Lake Wylie by the month in 2021, and the blue line represents the 4-year average. Sales typically begin building in early spring, and peak mid-summer, staying strong through October.
The drop from April to May in 2021 was atypical — but these are atypical times. A shortage of listings and buyer frenzy have been driving the market in recent months. The number of homes under contract has been strong, between 30-40 during the past 4 months, so for only 12 homes to close in May was a surprise.
However, about a third of the homes listed as “under contract” is new construction, which typically takes several months to close, depending on the stage of the build when it went under contract. Also, some sellers are negotiating a longer close period, to give themselves time to find a place to live.
Of the 12 homes that closed in May, all but two were on the market for less than a week before going under contract. Seven sold at or above the asking price — and two sold for more than 20% above the asking price! The market is still hot, hot, hot. However, the shortage in listings is an issue:
In the chart above, the blue line represents the number of waterfront homes sold in the 12-month period ending 5/31 each year, and the red line represents the number of listings on the last day of May each year. Historically, the number of listings was close to the number of homes sold on an annual basis. That began to change in late 2019. Now the gap between supply and demand is quite pronounced — driving prices up.
Waterfront Lots
Dockable waterfront lots on Lake Wylie are having a record sales year. Despite the rising costs of construction, buyers are turning to lots to build their own lake homes when none can be found ready to buy. The majority of sales are in Belmont and Charlotte — driven by availability.
Buyers are willing to pay top dollar for premium lots — point lots with panoramic views. The average sale price for a waterfront lot on Lake Wylie is about $350,000, the highest point since 2008.
Listing inventory is at the lowest point in years:
In the chart above, the blue line represents rolling 12-month sales thru the end of May each year, and the red line represents the number of listings at the end of each May. Historically, the number of listings significantly outpaced the annual sales, until 2021. The number of listings has plummeted, and sales are the highest since 2018 (which was a record year!).
You can check out details of recent sales on my web pages: Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.
As we head into summer, it is an excellent time to list your property if you have an interest in selling. With hundreds of lake transactions successfully closed, The Lake Wylie team can advise you on how to price your property in this volatile market, what improvements or staging techniques will ensure top dollar, and best strategies for marketing. Please give me a call if you’d like to discuss your home or lot.