Carson home sales, prices up in April

After a wet and brutal winter, some good news for Carson City homeowners has arrived: sales and home prices in the greater Carson area rose in April.

“I would definitely say the weather was a factor (in March) in people’s interest in going out and looking at homes,” Christie Fernquest, co-president of Sierra Nevada Realtors, told the Appeal. “I know a lot of open houses were cancelled.”

According to data released by SNR, April showed signs of improvement. The median sales price for an existing single-family home in Carson increased 6 percent from the previous month, rising from $450,000 to $477,000. The latter figure is still down 1.6 percent from the same month last year, but Fernquest hopes this year’s numbers show a “more steady” market.

“I think we’re going to continue to see more of the same, not a lot more increases, but more steady across the board,” she said. “I think because interest rates are more stable at this point. All things considered, things will stay healthy through the summer months.”

According to the U.S. Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, many lenders in Nevada are currently offering mortgage interest rates at or below 7 percent, down slightly from previous months.

Some 46 closed sales in the Carson area in April represent a 15 percent increase from March, though still a 32.4 percent drop from April 2022.

One indicator that the housing market may be picking up is the median days to contract — how long houses are on the market — dropped nearly 41 percent in April from the prior month, from 33 days to 20 days. This means houses are selling faster.

“I think that the prices and interest rates have spurred more enthusiasm and higher confidence,” said Fernquest. “In addition to that, this is the time of year when the market does pick up. We’re just a little ahead of the market.”

Existing condominiums and townhomes in Carson didn’t fare as well in April. The median sales price of $320,000 signifies a 6.5 percent slide from the previous month and a 4.5 percent dip from the previous year. Only five condos/townhomes sold in April — down 16.7 percent from the previous month and 44.4 percent from the previous year.

According to a press release from SNR, other highlights for April include:

• Washoe County (excluding Incline Village)

Washoe County saw 454 new listings and 367 closed sales.

The median sales price for an existing single-family residence in Washoe County was $540,000, an increase of 2.3 percent from the previous month and down 9 percent from last year.

The median sales price of an existing condominium/townhome in Washoe County in April 2023 was $315,000, a decrease of 6 percent from last year.

• Lyon County

Lyon County had 74 sales of existing single-family homes, a decrease of 23.7 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 33.3 percent from last year.

The median sales price for an existing single-family residence was $380,000, an increase of 1.6 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 33.3 percent from last year.

• Churchill County

Churchill County had 26 sales of existing single-family homes, a decrease of 16.1 percent from the previous month and an increase of 4 percent from last year.

The median sales price for an existing single-family residence was $336,450, a decrease of 1 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 6.5 percent from last year.

• Storey County

Storey County had three sales of existing single-family homes, an increase of 50 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 50 percent from last year.

The median sales price for an existing single-family residence was $419,000, a decrease of 34 percent from the previous month and an increase of 44.1 percent from last year.

• Douglas County

Douglas County had 66 sales of existing single-family homes, an increase of 88.6 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 6.5 percent from last year.

The median sales price for an existing single-family residence was $520,000, an increase of 4.5 percent from the previous month and a decrease of 18.4 percent from last year.

For information about SNR, visit https://snr.realtor/.