Mahoning housing sales down, Columbiana, Trumbull up


By Kalea Hall

khall@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Michael D. Klacik, local broker for Klacik Realty, is optimistic about the June housing sales numbers, though there was a drop in closed sales in Mahoning County.

Data released by the Youngstown-Columbiana Association of Realtors show an 11.1 percent drop in closed sales in Mahoning County, an increase of 23.4 percent in closed sales in Columbiana County and an increase of 4.4 percent in closed sales for Trumbull County for June.

In Mahoning County, however, there was an increase in new listings, pending sales and the average sales price. There were 449 new listings compared with 335 last year. For pending sales, there were 250 compared with 199 last year. The average sale price was $127,046 compared with $104,073 last year.

“When the [listing] numbers are up and the pending numbers are up, [the buyers] want to do something,” Klacik said. “If the pending [sales] are up, that is a good sign.”

The pending sales are considered “preliminary” closed sales, he said.

Closed sales were down from 235 in June 2013 to 209 last month in Mahoning County.

In Columbiana County, new listings were up 22.2 percent with 154 new listings in June 2014 compared with 126 last year. Pending sales were up, with 99 this year and 79 last year, and closed sales also were up, with 79 this year compared with 64 last year. The average home-sale price is listed at $104,951 last month compared with $99,306 last year.

In Trumbull County, new listings were up 12.5 percent from last year, with 324 compared with 288 last year. Pending sales also were up with 216 last month compared with 149 last year. There also was an increase of seven in closed sales from last year’s number of 160 to 167 sold in June. The average home sale price for Trumbull is listed at $90,686 compared with last year’s $87,967.

“It is still a very price-conscious market,” Klacik said. “So there is still a very good value for your dollar in our area.”

Jeff Byce, owner, auctioneer, broker and appraiser at Byce Auction and Realty, also is optimistic about the housing market here.

He attributed the drop in closed sales to the time it takes to finance a home.

“We are very optimistic, and we have seen strong sales,” Byce said.

“We are starting to see new-home construction come back. That is what is going to be the final indication that things are back.”