An industry that generated $1.55 billion in sales in three months would hardly seem to be lackluster. But that's the case with the Greater Charleston housing market from April through June.
During the second quarter, 4,802 dwellings sold in the region, down 28.6 percent from the 6,724 sales in the same period of 2006. Still, the average price of $323,678 was up 3.1 percent from $313,858 a year before. Median values, too, rose 2.2 percent to $211,400 compared with $206,920 in 2006.
Rocky Mount, N.C.-based Market Opportunity Research Enterprises complied the second-quarter figures. By type, single-family homes were the best investment with an average second-quarter price of $341,000, up about 1 percent from $337,634 a year ago. The median value was $220,030, up 2.3 percent from $215,000 last year. Condos had the best quarter: The average shot up 17.5 percent to $306,817 from $261,117 a year earlier. Townhomes lagged, with the average price slipping 1.7 percent to $192,637 from $195,916.
More than half the sales, 2,721, occurred in Charleston County. That's down 29.1 percent from 3,839 a year ago. Berkeley County reported 1,170 sales, off 24.8 percent from 1,556 sales a year before, and Dorchester County had 911 transactions, off 31.5 percent from 1,329 in spring 2006.
