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Valley housing sales up in March
YOUNGSTOWN
March was a good month for the local housing market, real estate agents said.
Housing sales in the Mahoning Valley increased by 25.7 percent in March over a year ago.
There were 435 closed sales in Columbiana, Mahoning, and Trumbull counties combined last month compared with 346 closed sales in March 2014, according to data released by the Youngstown/Columbiana Association of Realtors, and the Warren Area Board of Realtors.
“There was definitely a spike up” in sales, said Michael D. Klacik, broker for Klacik Real Estate in Poland.
Housing sales climbed in Mahoning and Trumbull counties by 36.4 percent and 23.3 percent, respectively, last month. But Columbiana County saw a modest decrease by 4.2 percent from a year ago.
“I think the weather was an improvement,” said Marlin Palich, general manager of Northwood Realty Services of Ohio, which covers the Valley and surrounding counties.
In Mahoning County, there were 225 homes sold last month compared with 165 homes in March 2014. Trumbull County came in second with 164 homes sold in March 2015 compared with 133 in March 2014. But in Columbiana County, there were 46 homes sold last month compared with 48 a year ago.
Palich said he was seeing a good mood in the real-estate business.
Additionally, the median sales price in Mahoning County increased by 9.2 percent to $74,000 last month compared with $67,750 a year ago. In Trumbull County, the median sales price increased by 8 percent to $63,200 in March 2015 compared with $58,500 in March 2014. But there was an 18.6 percent decrease in the sales price in Columbiana County to $68,000 in March compared with $83,500 in March 2014.
Both Klacik and Palich said inventory was down.
“The demand is exceeding the supply,” Klacik said.
In March, inventory decreased in Columbiana and Trumbull counties by 7.6 percent and 9.3 percent, respectively. But Mahoning County’s inventory increased by 4.3 percent.
Due to low inventory, “a lot of sellers are getting multiple offers,” Palich said, adding that houses are selling much quicker.