Lake Wylie real estate

A hot market in the dog days of summer

Jan Todd

Back-to-school may be just around the corner, but the summer real estate sales surge is still in full swing. We’re on track for the highest number of waterfront homes AND the highest number of waterfront lots sold in well over a decade of tracking. Lake sales are hotter than the dog days of summer!

 
According to a recent article in MoneyWise, South Carolina had the sixth-highest rate of population growth in the country, and North Carolina was on the new resident growth list as well. People are on the move, attracted by the beautiful natural resources in the Carolinas, as well as the lower cost of living in our suburban areas (compared to places in the Northeast and California.) The availability of larger lots, pleasant climate and laid-back lifestyle were also cited in the article as draws to our area.
 
Tight inventory and high demand have affected prices both on and off the lake, however. In comparison to 2020, average price per square foot has increased:
 
  • Lake Wylie waterfront homes +25%
  • Non Waterfront Homes in Mecklenburg County +23%
  • Non Waterfront Homes in York County +22%
  • Non Waterfront Homes in Gaston County +24%
 
The luxury home segment ($1 million+) has outperformed previous years. Year-to-date, 31 homes have closed in this price segment, representing 32% of total sales. Last year, 25% of waterfront home sales on Lake Wylie were priced over $1 million.
 
Waterfront lot prices are also climbing. Year-to-date average price for waterfront lots is about $350,000, a $25,000 increase over last year’s.

2021 Sales to date 

Lake Wylie waterfront sales trends kicked in place during the pandemic have continued through the summer of 2021. Sales by month are outpacing the 4-year average:
In the chart above, the blue line represents the average number of waterfront homes sold on Lake Wylie by month during the past four full years. The green line represents monthly activity for 2021. Most months have outpaced the average, and year-to-date sales are up 22% over the average.
Waterfront lot sales vary more in yearly totals as well as monthly seasonality. Year-to-date sales are almost double last year’s sales through the end of July.

Waterfront Listings

Meanwhile, the number of listings continue to decline:
In the chart above, the blue line represents the number of Lake Wylie waterfront homes on the market from month to month (including those under contract but not yet closed.) The red line represents waterfront lots.
While waterfront home listings have trended upward since the first of 2021, the numbers have declined year-to-year. Listings at the first of August are down 20% from last year, and 52% from 2019 inventory levels in August. In addition, the portion of listings classified as “under contract” is greater. Currently, 60% of waterfront home listings are under contract, leaving just 24 homes fully “available” on the Lake Wylie market.
Typically, the number of waterfront home listings peak in July and begin to trail off as summer ends.
Waterfront lot listings have continued the steep decline. As of this week, there are only 32 dockable lots listed on Lake Wylie.
Newly listed properties continue to sell quickly. Well over half of waterfront homes sold this year were on the market less than a week, and 70% were on the market less than a month. Many sell for full asking price or above.
Recent waterfront property sales can be viewed on my website, Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.
In this aggressive market, expert advice is more important than ever. Please call if you’re considering selling your home or lot. As the #1 Lake Wylie waterfront team for well over a decade, The Lake Wylie Man can assist you in determining the best price, sales strategies and marketing for your property, resulting in the best outcome and smoothest closing possible.

Mid-year 2021 Waterfront Sales Update

Jan Todd

The wild ride continues in real estate — on Lake Wylie and around the country. Sales are breaking records — which is quite a feat considering the number of listings is at an all-time low. We are starting to see just a little slowing in sales in waterfront homes, but that is simply because there are so few homes available to sell. Compared to a 4-year average by month, sales outpaced previous years in the first quarter of the year and have begun to lag below average the past couple of months:

In the chart above, the blue line represents the average number of Lake Wylie waterfront homes sold by month for the past 4 years, and the green line represents the number of homes sold this year. Seasonally, sales usually peak June through August, and the trend this year is headed in the same direction.
 
After a very strong spring, summer sales for 2021 are lagging just a little behind the 4-year average.
 
 
Lake Wylie Waterfront Sales
 
Here’s a quick snapshot compared to years past:
Year-to-date waterfront home sales (blue bars) on Lake Wylie reached 71 at the end of June, just topping the sales record reached in 2017. Waterfront lots (red bars) reached 40 at the mid-year mark, strongly outpacing sales reached any year this decade.
 
Prices are also at an all-time high:
The average waterfront home price (red line) on Lake Wylie lingered around $600k for several years, then started climbing in 2016-2017. In first half 2021, prices spiked as lake home demand rose and number of listings fell. 
 
Thus far in 2021, 22 homes have sold on Lake Wylie for over a million dollars — a 57% increase over last year’s January-June sales in that price category. The shift to more expensive homes has impacted the average sale price. In addition, individual home sale prices are up 10-20% over pre-pandemic prices. High demand and low supply, again, have driven prices up. List prices out of the gate are higher — and bidding wars have bumped up the already increased prices. Finally, an influx of newer homes — carrying higher prices from more costly materials — has caused the average price to climb.
 
Waterfront lot prices (blue line) are up for individual lots. Also, we have seen a number of premium lot sales in 2021: several multi-acre lots in The Sanctuary (averaging almost $600,000), plus a 3-acre parcel in McLean for $1,300,000 and a 2-acre parcel in Woodland Bay for $821,000.
 
Other sales highlights:
 
  • The average time on the market for Lake Wylie waterfront homes is just 30 days. (For reference, the average time on market for 2020 was 115 days.)
  • Over half of waterfront home sales occurred in the first week of listing. 
  • Over half of waterfront homes sold at or above the listing price.
  • The average sales price for a cabin (property designed for “weekend use,” usually built 50+ years ago, usually under 1200 square feet or so) reached $506,000 in first half 2021, a whopping $70,000 increase over last year’s average.
  • About 25% of waterfront lots sold were on the market less than a month. Also, several lots that were on the market for several years have sold.
Inventory
 
The number of properties available for sale on Lake Wylie is at record lows. For perspective, annual sales are compared to the current number of listings:
The number of waterfront homes on the market (red line) was fairly steady from 2017 – 2019. During the pandemic, sales spiked (blue line), while sellers delayed listing their homes or decided to stay put. Up until 2019, the number of listings was sufficient to cover annual demand, providing buyers a fair number of listings to choose from. 
 
Currently, there are just 69 waterfront homes on the market, and 38 of those are under contract. Pre-pandemic, there were usually around 30-35 homes under contract at any given time during the summer. Last year during the pandemic, when people began moving from urban areas to the suburbs, lakes and resorts, there were 40-55 homes under contract during summer months. We’re now below that point — mainly because available inventory is so low.
 
A similar situation exists for waterfront lots:
The number of dockable waterfront lots listed (red line) has declined dramatically since 2017, falling from around 120 to just 42 current listings. Even though building costs are high due to the demand during the pandemic, plus tariffs, buyers are purchasing lots to build waterfront homes.
 
It is an excellent time to list property if you are considering selling!
 
Details for recent sales are available on my website: Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales  If you’d like to discuss the potential for your property, please give me a call. As the #1 Lake Wylie Realtor each year for over a decade, I can provide unparalleled expertise and marketing for your home or lot.

Spring Frenzy – Lake Wylie Real Estate Market

Jan Todd

The frenzy continues in real estate sales on Lake Wylie this spring. Both waterfront homes and dockable lots are selling at record paces — the highest number of sales through April in over a decade. At the same time, the number of springtime listings is at the lowest point in years.

People are on the move, all over the country:

Americans are leaving the big cities, but they’re not going far. According to Bloomberg CityLab, they’re heading out to the suburbs, places with a little more space and access to outdoor amenities (like Lake Wylie!). About 84% of movers stayed within their same metro area.
In the Charlotte area, the mover inflow/outflow ratio was pretty flat — which means we didn’t have a large increase or decrease in population change during the pandemic, but people did shuffle around.

Real estate is big news. Prices are climbing, multiple offers and bidding wars are common, and supply (number of listings) is very, very low all over the country.

For several years after the recession (2007-2010ish), new construction slowed considerably — and we’re now feeling the supply pinch.
Though building has started up again in the Lake Wylie area, costs are high, particularly as the pandemic affected the supply of materials.
The ability (and, during the pandemic, the necessity!) to work remotely, combined with low mortgage rates, has encouraged people to start buying houses.

So, here we are. Waterfront home sales are outpacing the 4-year average:

In the chart above, the blue line represents the average number of waterfront homes sold on Lake Wylie, by month, over the past 4 years. The green line represents 2021 sales. Seasonally, sales are lowest in winter months (December thru February), then begin to pick up in spring.
In April of 2021, we’re approaching our summer “peak” levels. There were 16 waterfront home closings in April, and there are currently 32 under contract. Year-to-date sales (42 homes) are outpacing the average by 35%. The average sales price is up to $832,000 for waterfront homes, an increase of about 3% over last year. However – – the mix of homes sold this year to date are, on average, about 15% smaller than last year’s average, so the price increase on an individual home basis is closer to 15-20%, depending on location, price point and features.
The average time on the market for waterfront homes? An astounding 36 days. For perspective, the average time on market for the entire year of 2020 was 115 days – – more than three times as long. Through April, about 70% of waterfront home sales have time on the market of less than a month.  Half sold for the asking price or more.
Waterfront lot sales are equally impressive this year:
In the chart above, lot sales through the end of April are reported for each year since 2011. This year, with 27 lots sold to date, we’ve achieved record levels. Twenty-one lots are currently under contract, which, if they all close, will bring us close to the total for all of 2020!
The average price is $343,000, an increase over last year’s total by 5%.
Listings for both lots and homes are very low:
In the chart above, listings by month over the past two years are shown for waterfront homes on Lake Wylie (blue line) and dockable waterfront lots (red line). While home listings have ticked up a bit in the past two months, that is typical for spring seasonality. Comparing listings for the first of May, our current home levels are down more than 20% from last year, and down 43% from two years ago.
The number of lots listed is down over 40% from last year and from the year before.
The Lake Wylie Man team is working with a number of buyers right now, at all price points, for both lots and land. We have sold more Lake Wylie property than any other realtor in the area, each year for over a decade. Buying and selling lake property involves different considerations than real estate transactions off the lake. Rely on The Lake Wylie Man for expert advice in pricing, marketing, and ensuring the closing is smooth.
To see details for recent sales, visit my web pages: Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.
Please call if you’d like to discuss your property. I look forward to hearing from you!

A roller-coaster ride in real estate – November 2020

Jan Todd

October numbers are in for Lake Wylie real estate activity, and It has certainly been a roller coaster ride!

TWENTY-SIX waterfront homes closed in October — a month that usually averages 8-10 closings. Last year the market had a record-breaking October, with 16 closings. Check out this year’s performance in comparison to the past 3-year average:

In the chart above, the dark blue line represents the last 3-year average number of closings per month for dockable waterfront homes on Lake Wylie. The light blue line represents 2020 performance. It has been an unusual year indeed, with closings falling far below normal during the first couple months of the pandemic, then higher than normal thereafter.
About a third of the homes closed in October were on the market for less than a week, and many sold at or above full asking price. Eight of the closings were in the luxury price category (over $1 million).
Low mortgage rates and changes in lifestyle have contributed to the uptick in lake property, as well as pent-up demand from the past couple of years as we have seen inventory decline. Offerings at different price points have not been able to keep up with demand.
Here at the beginning of November, the number of listings has reached another low point. Only 49 dockable waterfront homes are currently listed, with 22 of those under contract!
Looking at listings the past few months, the decline is pronounced:
In the chart above, the blue portion represents the number of waterfront homes under contract at the first of each month since June, and the red represents the number of available waterfront homes.  In the MLS, the number of listings reported includes “Active” plus “Under Contract,” because sometimes properties under contract can continue to be shown for back-up offers, and occasionally offers do fall through.
In June and July, the total number of listings hovered around 90 waterfront homes. Typically, the number of lakefront listings peak in the summer, and this year was no exception. However, in comparison to the summer months of 2019, total listings were down 30%! Combine that statistic with record sales, and it is a classic low supply/high demand situation.
The small number of homes available becomes even more dire when we break the listings into price points or areas on the lake. There are zero – – yes, zero – – listings under $500,000. Almost half of the available homes are priced over $1 million. Looking for something in the $700,000 range in the Clover School District? There is one house.
Waterfront lots are also in demand. While year-to-date sales are about level with the past two years, inventory is very tight. Currently, there are 74 dockable lots listed, and 14 of those are under contract. The number of listings is down over 20% in comparison to the past couple of years. With waterfront home inventory so tight, buyers will consider building and need land for their lake homes. Many will consider purchasing a cabin or lower-priced older home to remove and use as their building site.
To see details on recent sales activity all over Lake Wylie, please visit my web pages Recent Waterfront Home Sales and Recent Waterfront Lot Sales.
Now is a great time to sell Lake Wylie waterfront property, even though (in a typical year) we’d be entering the slower season of selling. But this is no typical year. Now more than ever it is important to use a Lake Wylie waterfront expert to help you price, market and sell your property.  The Lake Wylie Man has led the market in waterfront sales each year for over a decade, and can offer unparalleled insight and service. Give us a call!

Waterfront Lots – The Market is Hot!

Jan Todd

After analyzing monthly waterfront sales for well over a decade now, I know not to put too much importance on what happens in January. Weather, lake levels, and inventory levels are often off-kilter in the winter months, and all of these impact buyer activity. Plus, the winter months are the least active for sales both on and off the water, so first quarter closings don’t always provide a great indication of how the year will turn out.

That being said, with SEVEN waterfront home closings and SIX dockable lot closings in January, the market came out of the gate the strongest it has in several years. In addition, there are currently 24 waterfront homes under contract, and 6 lots, which is impressive given the low inventory levels that plagued us in recent months. Of the homes that are currently under contract, six (25%) were on the market for less than a month.

We have buyers waiting in the wings, ready to purchase, and with record low inventory levels, new listings get a lot of attention quickly. (Pause for a commercial break!) It is particularly important to price your property correctly, prior to listing, and make sure that potential issues are addressed and the property is ready to sell, and having a Realtor experienced in waterfront is vital.

So, what’s selling? Homes under contract are equally disbursed between Belmont, Lake Wylie (Clover School District), and Charlotte, plus a couple of properties in Tega Cay area. The higher priced properties represent the bulk of sales, with 9 over $1 million, and 8 priced $800-$999k. The tightest segments in active inventory are mid-priced and lower priced properties. That tight inventory is limiting sales. There are currently 7 homes under contract that are priced under $800k.

Waterfront lot sales are benefitting from low home inventory, as buyers unable to find ready waterfront homes shift their focus to building. Here’s something interesting: Of the waterfront lots that closed in January, half had been on the market for under five weeks, and two had been on the market for 3-4 YEARS. So average time on market if pretty meaningless! We noted that throughout last year’s lot sales; quite a few lots that had been on the market for years finally sold!

Here’s a closer look at waterfront lot sales since January 2017:

  • Belmont, 31 lots, average price $224,000
  • Reflection Pointe (in Belmont), 14 lots, average price $154,000
  • McLean (in Belmont), 5 lots, average price $432,000
  • Lake Wylie (Clover School Distr.), 24 lots, average price $280,000
  • Charlotte, 17 lots, average price $317,000
  • Rock Hill, 3 lots, average $287,000
  • Tega Cay/Fort Mill, 3 lots, average $370,000

Reflection Pointe in Belmont still has a number of dockable waterfront lots selling for less than $150,000.  This development was hardest hit by the recession, and slowest to recover.  Meanwhile, just down the road in McLean, lots are commanding premium prices.  Woodland Bay and choice main channel lots are also yielding prices over $300,000.

In Lake Wylie, properties go up in price as the location gets closer to the Buster Boyd Bridge.  Handsmill on Lake Wylie is also beginning to sell well.  There have been lots on the southern end of the lake, around Allison Creek, selling above $300,000, but similar lots in the 29710 zip code generally sell for 10-15% higher.

Good news for sellers of waterfront cabins!  Average sale prices have been on the rise for the past few years.  Take a look:

Waterfront cabin sales on Lake Wylie, Average Price by Year

2013 – $311,000

2014 – $355,000

2015 – $355,000

2016 – $364,000

2017 – $386,000

The price for waterfront cabins is impacted by the buyer’s planned use for the property.  If they plan to remove the cabin and build a permanent home, the presence of the cabin can be seen as a negative.  But often a buyer wants to enjoy the cabin as it is, prior to building or as a second home indefinitely.  Cabins that are neat and in good condition command a premium price.

If you’d like to see more data on recent sales, visit The Lake Wylie Man Waterfront Market Sales Report for 2017.  The Lake Wylie Man is the leader in waterfront sales on Lake Wylie.  Rely on the market expert for buying or selling waterfront real estate!

Waterfront Sales Update – Fall 2017

Jan Todd

It has been nice to have a little chill in the air this week, a sure sign that fall is on its way.  There were a dozen waterfront home closings in September, down from last year’s record setting level of 18.  We’re now lagging in closings by 7 homes vs last year, but still posting some very positive market trends.  In addition, waterfront LOT sales are at an all time high, with 56 closings to date.  That is more than the year end number for any year in the past decade!

Here are some highlights for this year’s waterfront market:
• Average waterfront home sales price is $712,000 – highest since 2008!
• Average time on market for waterfront homes is just 144 days, fastest since 2007
• Average WF home sales price is 93% of the original price, best performance in over a decade
• Waterfront lot sales prices average $254k, highest since 2010.
• Number of waterfront lot sales is the highest in over a decade
• Twenty percent of waterfront lots sold so far this year had time on market in excess of 1,000 days.  Some “old” inventory is beginning to clear out.
• Listings are at a low point, both for waterfront lots and waterfront homes.  Lack of inventory is affecting market dynamics significantly.

Waterfront Sales trend over time:

The solid blue bar represents number of waterfront home sales through 3rd quarter of each year.  The red striped bar represents waterfront lot sales.  While 2016 hit record levels for home sales, 2017 performance follows closely behind.  If it weren’t for the shortages in inventory (number of listings available), I feel sure that this year’s performance would surpass last year’s.  In DOLLAR sales, however, 2017 is ahead of last year and is at record levels, with $76.5 million in total waterfront home market sales.  That’s about 8% above last year.

Waterfront LOT sales are at record numbers, with 60 lots closed to date, and 11 currently under contract.  Average price of waterfront lot sold on Lake Wylie this year is $254k, the highest since 2010 and a 12% improvement over last year.  Lot sales by area:

•21 lots in Belmont, averaging $186k.  Highest priced lot in Belmont was $500k, in McLean.  Lot sales in Reflection Pointe brought the average price down, with 13 lots sold at an average of $154k.

•18 lots in the Clover School District, averaging $290k.

•134 lots sold in Charlotte, average price $308k.  Three sales in The Sanctuary (or adjacent), plus a couple of premium priced lots in The Palisades area brought the average sales price up.

•2 lots in Rock Hill (average price $285k), and 2 lots in Tega Cay ($337 average price.)

Sales price trend is as follows:

The blue bar (on top) represents sales price for waterfront homes, through 3rd quarter of each year.  The red (bottom) line is average sales price for lots.  After several years of “flat” performance, the average prices are ticking upward.  This doesn’t necessarily translate to price increases on individual properties, however.  Rather, the average price is driven more by the mix of properties purchased.  This year, we’ve seen RECORD LEVEL sales of $1 million plus homes, and have seen an increase in PREMIUM waterfront lots.

McLean homes and lots represent a premium priced waterfront development, however its impact has not been significant yet.  The higher priced lot sales are scattered all over the lake: Handsmill in York, The Sanctuary and The Palisades in Charlotte, Woodland Bay, Reflection Pointe and McLean in Belmont, Fort Mill/Tega Cay, Allison Creek, Concord Road.  As home inventory tightened up, buyers turned to waterfront lots to build their own homes rather than buy established.

Million-plus dollar home sales were scattered around the lake as well:  a couple in McLean, a few more in Belmont, York, Tega Cay, quite a few in “non-neighborhoods.”  In addition to the 16 homes sold to date in the $1 million category, there are 11 currently under contract.  Four of these are new construction (McLean), and may not close in this calendar year, depending on completion schedule.  In 2016, there were 15 sales in this price segment for the entire year, so already we’re significantly ahead of last year’s record breaking numbers.

New homes in The Vineyards on Lake Wylie (upper lake area) have several sales in the $800’s and $900’s, newer construction homes not found in abundance on the southern part of the lake.

Waterfront Homes by Price Point:

In the chart above the blue bar represents last year’s sales through 3rd quarter, and the red bar represents number of waterfront homes sold this year.  Sales surpass last year most significantly in the $1 million plus segment, followed by homes in the $500-$799k segment.

The GREEN bar represents number of homes currently listed in each price segment, and the percentage differences below the chart depict listings vs. last year.  The most dramatic story is in the lower priced homes, where there are just 9 homes currently listed (including some under contract!).  Stacked up against “demand,” more accurately represented by last year’s sales, you can see that the decline in sales for homes under $500k can be blamed on lack of inventory, which is about 71% lower than it was last year!

Inventory in the $500-$799k segment is down 22% vs last year, and sales for this year show a modest increase over last year’s, in spite of the inventory shortage.

Inventory in the $800-$999 price range is probably the “healthiest,” with a good number of choices relative to the number of buyers.  In the $1mm+ segment, homes available still outweigh demand, but with the increase in demand in this price category, the outlook is improving over what we’ve seen in recent years.  There have been quite a few new listings in this segment, and more than a third of this year’s sales have occurred with homes on the market less than 2 months.

If you’d like to see more details about recent home and lot sales, please visit my webpages for home sales:https://thelakewylieman.com/waterfront-home-sales

and recent lot sales: https://thelakewylieman.com/recentlysoldlots

As always, I welcome your calls and emails to discuss your property in more detail.  Thanks!

Check out my website for Lake Wylie real estate.  We specialize in Lake Wylie waterfront homes and land.

Development Update – Fall 2017

lakewylieman

As the heat of summer begins to subside and we settle into our fall routines, the real estate market generally begins to slow down a little. This year, however, the bullish market is still blazing!
Lake Wylie waterfront home listing inventory is at record low levels, particularly in the mid- and lower-priced ranges. This is having a profound impact on the market. Waterfront homes are selling at a much faster rate, at an average of four months on market, compared to about six months in 2016. Sellers are also seeing offers closer to their asking price, and the average waterfront home sale is about $687,000, up 14% from 2014.
Increased demand for quality homes is motivating buyers to stay on top of new listings. Since May, over half of waterfront homes sold were on the market for less than a month! While most of these quick sales were in the moderate price waterfront segment ($500,000 – $800,000), several were in higher priced, “luxury” segments. As true in recent years, inventory levels in the million-dollar plus price range is still much higher than demand levels. However, buyers in this category often have specific criteria, and when a new listing meets those criteria, they are ready to buy.
What is selling on the lake?
In reviewing sales from the current year, along with what is currently under contract, we can get an idea of what is driving today’s buyers. Sales have occurred all around the lake, with 70% on the South Carolina side. Almost half of sales (45%) were in the Clover School District.
Waterfront homes in the 500K and under price point average about 40 years in age. More than half of these sales went under contract in under two months. Current inventory is less than 25% of last year’s levels, the most pronounced shortage of any price segment.
In the $500,000 to $1 million category, the median age of sold homes is 24 years, with average time on market about four months. While the current inventory is higher in this price point, it still demonstrates a deficit with about 30% less than last year this time.
Homes over $1mm are selling at record levels, with ten homes sold in this luxury price segment through the end of July.
Waterfront lot sales are outpacing last year’s by about 30%, quite likely a result of some buyers deciding to build their home after being unable to find an existing property that met their needs.
Market Trends Off the Lake
In general, the market is very strong within the Clover School District. The median home price off the lake is $283,000, up a little from a year ago. Homes in the Clover School District spent an average of ten weeks on the market. The excellent Clover School District remains a strong selling point, motivating buyers to make strong offers. In fact, sellers are receiving an average of 98% of their asking prices, which is a slight increase from 2016. Almost a third of home sales off the lake this year have been new construction.
The little haven of Lake Wylie is an attractive place to live with great schools, low taxes and plenty of southern charm. Because of this, expect the housing market to remain strong and lead us to another record breaking year.
Drew Choate, “The Lake Wylie Man” specializes in Lake Wylie waterfront homes and lots, and other homes in the Lake Wylie community. He is affiliated with Wilkinson ERA Real Estate and has an office in Lake Wylie.