The weather may be getting hotter, but when it comes to new-home sales the Baltimore market still seems to be in a deep freeze.
May sales for the Baltimore region were down for single-family homes, townhouses and condominiums, according to Housing Data Reports, a firm that tracks new-home sales. Single-family sales were off 7.7 percent from April, townhouses dropped 2.7 percent and condos were down 5.2 percent.
Compared to May 1996, single-family sales are down 13.2 percent, townhouses off 12.5 percent and condo sales dropped by almost 38 percent.
What brought down the region was the performance in Harford County, where sales nose-dived by almost 25 percent from April's numbers. Single-family sales were off by 22.9 percent, townhouses dropped 27.5 percent and condominiums were down by 23 percent.
Overall, the region's year-to-date performance is down almost 14 percent from the same time in 1996.
Only Baltimore and Howard counties could boast of higher sales over April's numbers. Buoyed by strong sales in Ryland's Winands Woods development, Baltimore County had a 16.7 percent gain in single-family home sales. The county also saw a 13.3 percent gain in townhouse sales and 2.6 percent gain in the condo market.
Likewise, Howard County saw gains over April numbers in all three categories. Single-family sales were up 11.3 percent, townhouses grew by 28.9 percent and condominium sales almost quadrupled.
Pub Date: 6/29/97
