Home Sales Volume Hits 13-Year Low, But Prices Stay High

The number of homes sold in Grand Traverse County in September continued to slide since hitting a high of 194 in September 2020. Last month’s total of 121 homes sold is actually the fewest since 2011, when there were 97 homes sold in the county. While the average price of $501,024 slightly bested last year’s high of $499,042, the median price actually dropped to $400,000 from $402,500.

The other four counties in the five-county region roughly mirrored their totals from last September. Overall there were 248 homes sold in the five-county region last month, versus 284 in September 2023. Last month’s average sale price of $538,133 and median sale price of $410,500 compare with the figures from September 2023 of $524,581 and $398,500.

The number of sales for the first three quarters of the year of 1,884 homes tops the year-to-date total of 1,854 in 2023. Both lag far behind those of the last nine years, all of which topped 2,000 homes sold. The total sales volume for the year topped $1 billion for the first time ever; the $1,029,363,179 for the first three quarters this year is the highest for residential sales on record.