Atlanta home sales up in December (Cumming highest priced)

Home prices in Atlanta continued to rise in December, according to a report today by Re/Max of Georgia.

Home prices in Atlanta continued to rise in December, according to a report today by Re/Max of Georgia.

The median Atlanta home price last month was $222,130 – up 6 percent from a year before, according to a report from Re/Max of Georgia.

The most active city was Atlanta, where there were 477 homes sold, Re/Max said, while Marietta placed second with 281 sales. The highest median price of a sale, however, was in Cumming: $315,000.

It was, “a remarkably strong fall season,” said Jeanette Schneider, senior vice president of Re/Max Georgia. “December capped off what has been a very strong year for the housing market in Atlanta.”

The end of the year could be a springboard, she said. “We end the year on a positive note and this sets us up for a great start moving into the new year.”

However, the market’s apparent health, however, is not balanced: The number of transactions was actually down slightly from 2015. Perhaps more crucially, the number of homes listed for sale – inventory – was down 9 percent from a year earlier.

The shortage of listings is a problem, since it pushes prices higher a little faster than they might rise otherwise. And those increases undermine the affordability of Atlanta area market, especially for first-time homebuyers.

The median Atlanta home price last month was $222,130 – up 6 percent from a year before, according to a report from Re/Max of Georgia.

The most active city was Atlanta, where there were 477 homes sold, Re/Max said, while Marietta placed second with 281 sales. The highest median price of a sale, however, was in Cumming: $315,000.

It was, “a remarkably strong fall season,” said Jeanette Schneider, senior vice president of Re/Max Georgia. “December capped off what has been a very strong year for the housing market in Atlanta.”

The end of the year could be a springboard, she said. “We end the year on a positive note and this sets us up for a great start moving into the new year.”

However, the market’s apparent health, however, is not balanced: The number of transactions was actually down slightly from 2015. Perhaps more crucially, the number of homes listed for sale – inventory – was down 9 percent from a year earlier.

The shortage of listings is a problem, since it pushes prices higher a little faster than they might rise otherwise. And those increases undermine the affordability of Atlanta area market, especially for first-time homebuyers.

The median Atlanta home price last month was $222,130 – up 6 percent from a year before, according to a report from Re/Max of Georgia.

The most active city was Atlanta, where there were 477 homes sold, Re/Max said, while Marietta placed second with 281 sales. The highest median price of a sale, however, was in Cumming: $315,000.

It was, “a remarkably strong fall season,” said Jeanette Schneider, senior vice president of Re/Max Georgia. “December capped off what has been a very strong year for the housing market in Atlanta.”

The end of the year could be a springboard, she said. “We end the year on a positive note and this sets us up for a great start moving into the new year.”

However, the market’s apparent health, however, is not balanced: The number of transactions was actually down slightly from 2015. Perhaps more crucially, the number of homes listed for sale – inventory – was down 9 percent from a year earlier.

The shortage of listings is a problem, since it pushes prices higher a little faster than they might rise otherwise. And those increases undermine the affordability of Atlanta area market, especially for first-time homebuyers.

Metro Atlanta housing market, December of 2016

Median sales price: $222,130

Transactions closed: 3,908

Average number of days on the market: 59

Top area cities for homes sold in December:

Atlanta …………..477

Marietta ……….. 281

Cumming ………. 217

Lawrenceville ….. 205

Cities with hightest median sales price:

Atlanta …………..$300,000

Marietta ……….. $267,000

Cumming ………. $315,000

Lawrenceville ….. $201,000

Source: Re/Max Georgia