COLUMBUS, Ohio – Home sales in Ohio and the Columbus area saw a healthy increase in April, rising to a record level in central Ohio, indicating a continued recovery in the housing sector.
Sales in the Columbus region were 30 percent higher than the year before and April saw the highest number of home sales on record, according to monthly data released by the Columbus Board of Realtors.
The 4.9-month inventory of homes for sale suggests that demand is running slightly ahead of the supply; a 6-month inventory is an indicator of a well-balanced market.
The number of homes sold across Ohio rose 20.5 percent in April, the 22nd consecutive month of gains, according to the Ohio Association of Realtors.
Although the average sale price in central Ohio lagged behind a year ago, at $156,386 during the first four months of the year it was 1.4 percent ahead of the same period last year, the board said.
The average statewide sale price for January through April was 5.1 percent higher than the same period in 2012.
In central Ohio, homes are selling 23.1 percent faster than a year ago: An average of 73 days in April.