COLUMBUS – It was easier to sell a home in central Ohio last month and well worth the effort as sales and prices went up while the amount of time homes remained on the market stayed low.
Sales of houses and condos in Columbus were 8.4 percent higher than May 2014 and 17.8 percent higher than in April, according to data released Monday by the Columbus Board of Realtors.
“The central Ohio housing market is hot. There is an incredible amount of buyer interest right now, and no one is wasting any time in purchasing a new home,” board president Kathy Shiflet said.
The number of homes sold so far in 2015 is a record for the first five months of the year, Shiflet said.
The number of homes sold across Ohio in May rose 10.8 percent from the level posted during the month a year ago, the market’s ninth consecutive monthly year-over-year gain, according to the Ohio Association of Realtors.
Central Ohio homes that were sold in May had spent an average of 54 days on the market, 11 fewer days than May 2014 and 8 fewer than in April.
The median sale price in May was $169,900, up 9.6 percent from a year ago, Shiflet said.
“Home values are only continuing to appreciate, which is a tremendous advantageous for central Ohio homeowners who are looking to move up or build equity. However as prices continue to inch up, this may begin to deter potential buyers,” she said.