The 63,398 homes sold in the first nine months of this year in Wisconsin set a new record, but low inventory continues to vex buyers.
Those sales were 249 homes over the pace set by the end of September 2016, according to the Wisconsin Realtors Association.
Home listings and sales were down last month throughout the state when compared to September 2016, based on data the association released on Monday.
The 125 homes sold last month in Eau Claire County represented a 17% increase on figures from September 2016. Sales in Chippewa and Dunn counties were down last month by 1.3% and 13.3%, respectively, compared with September 2016.
Statewide, the median price of a home has been $174,900 so far this year — a 6% increase on the price from the same time in 2016.
The year-to-date $170,000 median home price in Eau Claire County is almost 10% higher than 2016. Chippewa County's $168,250 median home price and Dunn County's $157,000 are, respectively, 13% and 5.4% higher than last year.
As has been the case throughout this year, the low inventory of homes on the market has prevented sales from going even higher and contributed to increasing prices.
"This is a solid economy that under normal circumstances would fuel both home prices and home sales, but these are not normal times, at least on the supply side," Peter Sveum, WRA board chairman, said in a news release.
Sveum noted the home shortage is more acute in and around big cities, but it's easier to find a place in northern parts of Wisconsin.
"If you're looking for a cabin or vacation home in the northern regions of the state, this is a great time to buy, but the supply is very tight in the more urban regions, which is keeping sales down in those areas," Sveum said.
