Inventory rapidly expanded in Sarasota County in October. While increased transactions in Q1 2024 should slow down the inventory expansion, we will likely continue to see the median sales price trend down for the next month or two. Sarasota continues to be a seller’s market, but it is closer to being in balance than Manatee. Cash is still king in Sarasota as almost half of transactions in October were in cash. As with Manatee, it looks to be a reasonable time to be on either side of a transaction in Sarasota at the moment. Let’s hope it stays that way through our busy season.
Category: Home Selling
We continued to see the same pattern in Manatee this month as new listings exceeded closed sales, so our inventory continued to expand. While we are still in a seller’s market, the trend is towards market balance. The median sales price decreased by 13% in October, which was the largest decrease we have seen in years. Busy season is now upon us, so the next few months will be telling. It certainly seems like a reasonable time to be either a buyer or seller in Manatee, although the low transaction volume will likely cause sellers to have to be a little patient. The infographic below from Florida Realtors has more information for October.
Florida Realtors has put together the list of top apps for both buyers and sellers in the infographic below. I am partial to Let’s Decorate!, but decorating is always the most fun activity in any new home.
Like Manatee County, Sarasota County saw significant growth in YoY single-family home sales in September. Also, inventory levels are continuing to rise as we head into our busier season. Overall, both counties are shaping up well for a relatively balanced market for the coming months. The biggest difference for Sarasota is that the percent of cash transactions continues to be well above historical averages. Potential home buyers will need to keep that in mind. The infographic below from Florida Realtors has more details on the market.
September ended up being a solid month for closed sales of single-family homes in Manatee County. It has been a long time since we saw YoY growth of transactions as high as 47%. That said, it doesn’t mean that the seller’s market is back. Rather, balance still rules the day. It looks like we are continuing to see steady inventory growth as we are heading into our busy season in Florida. As long as that holds, it is shaping up to be a reasonable time to be either a buyer or seller in Manatee through Q4 23 and Q1 24. The infographic below from Florida Realtors has more details.