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These reports and opinions expressed are prepared by our Corporate Vice President and offer great insights into the current and future real estate activity in our area.
I hope you find this information informative. Feel free to contact Barbara at (706) 970-0390 if she can provide you any additional information or be of assistance.
SUMMARY
Inventory continues to rise, which at this point is still a good thing. Unit sales rose, but pending contracts decreased so we may expect some reduction in unit sales to be closed in May. With YTD unit sales already running about 6% slower than 2025, we still are seeing a general settling of real estate activity in our area, although prices seem to be holding pretty well. Individually, our central counties reported are virtually plateaued at historically fairly low levels, but with prices holding. Specifically, Cherokee and Gilmer have so far this year shown some noticeable unit sales reductions, so we’ll watch that. One other place to watch next month will be Fannin, which showed a surprising drop in average price in April. Union has had a remarkably steady unit sales flow, and in April had a nice rebound in its average sale price. Towns County continues on its normal wild ride in both units and prices.
The residential average price sagged a bit in April, which was disappointing, but not worrisome because it was still higher than four of the month’s prices in 2025.
ACTIVE LISTINGS: Five straight months of climbing inventory brought us to 3,963 in April, a rise of 250 units from March. While this is still a far cry from the elevated 5,964 level of April 2020, it is clearly better than the low of 3,120 in February 2023. So sellers aren’t coming in droves, but they are listing at an improved pace.
OPEN (PENDING) CONTRACTS: While, as was reported last month, the open (pending) contracts rose in March to 560, April’s open contracts backed off some to 539. This is not a source for ether worry or excitement since it is in the same vicinity as the 531 average across all of last year. It is also better than last April 2025, but that month wasn’t anything to aspire to anyway. So, no big changes occurring in contract levels.
SALES
UNITS: Last month I reported that each month this year so far the unit sales had been catching-up with the corresponding months in 2025, and this April our total YTD sales count of 326 passed the April 2025 YTD number of 302. The total sales count this year so far has not equaled the first four months of 2025, but the deficit shrunk for us finally in April. In coordination with the rising numbers of pending contracts we are also seeing an improvement in unit sales closed. In January this year we saw a shortfall of 40 fewer closings than the January 2025. In February we shrunk the gap to a difference of just 31. Then in March we again shrunk the gap to only 24. So the April 326 over the year-ago 302 was a very nice blow to the YTD deficit, which now stands at 71 fewer. Hopefully by mid-year we can catch and exceed 2025’s pace.
DOLLARS AND AVERAGE PRICE: As one might expect, since the full MLS area number of closings rose in April, the $138 million total dollars of sales in April was also higher than the $111 million of April 2025. When sales units and dollars both rise, it’s very interesting to see if the average price rises also. And, gladly, we had a nice increase in the average transaction value up to $424,410. While this is higher than any month this year, higher than last April, and higher than the overall monthly average for 2025, it is still lower than four of the four months from last year. So, while the average transaction price in April was not a record-breaker, it was very healthy.
RATIOS: Well, let’s just say it; the ratios were a little weird in April. One made a move down while the other moved up. The Sales/List price ratio fell off about 1.5% from a 2% rise in March. So really 93.77% in April was about the normal level over the last 15 – 16 months. But for some strange reason, the Sales/Original price ratio improved markedly to 93.37% from March’s 91.71%. Given that the average across last year was just over 90%, and has continued that rough average so far this year, I would expect this to also “normalize” by coming back down some in May, perhaps by even a couple of percentage points. Let’s see what happens.
DAYS ON MARKET: The “Days on Market” metric remained steady from March. In March it was 109 days, and in April it was 108 days. This is improved from the 2025 average of 118 days, so listed properties appear to be moving a little faster than last year.
COUNTY-BY-COUNTY:
Cherokee County, NC: Once again Cherokee unit sales were behind the corresponding month of 2025. In April, there were 27 sales closed in Cherokee compared to 34 in April 2025, which leaves a total four-month count at 105 closings so far in 2026 compared to 148 in the first four months last year. That’s a 30% slower start to the year in Cherokee County. The average price though has been a different story and a partial offset to slower sales. The average price in April was $304,169 compared to $261K from April 2025 and $284K average over all 2025 months. That doesn’t make up for the significant reduction in sales pace, but it at least helps, and it’s quite amazing really since normally speaking when sales slow in any business the prices tend to reduce, not rise.
Clay County, NC: Clay County too has had a sleepy start to 2026, but “hooray” for Clay having more sales this April than the year-ago April. There were 20 sales in April compared to 17 the year before. However, the monthly average for all of 2025 was 22.6 units, so April still didn’t even reach last year’s average. When one totals-up the first four months of sales of 2026 vs. 2025, we still see that 2026 is running 24% behind last year in Clay County. Even though the drop-off in sales hasn’t been quite as bad in Clay as in Cherokee, the average price didn’t help Clay County. April’s average price was $339,090, which is lower than the previous month and also the previous April 2025, and it’s just barely better than the full-year 2025 average price. Last month we said, “With slow numbers of transactions, Clay needs solid sales prices. “ But, we haven’t gotten that….yet.
Fannin County, GA: Fannin came in with 75 sales for April, which compares favorably to the previous month, previous April 2025, and the full 2025 monthly average. And, that keeps Fannin in the ballgame, keeping it only 2.5% slower than last year thus far. So the unit volume is a relief in Fannin, but now comes a bit of concerning news. Fannin’s average transaction price dropped noticeably to $507,384. While this is enviable for the surrounding counties, for Fannin it is lower than the previous month, the previous April 2025, and 18% lower than last year’s monthly average price. The one calming factor is that it appears that average prices seem to experience an inexplicable lowering this time of year, and that pattern is now visible for 5 years straight. But, the prices also rise again around June each year. Keep those fingers crossed!
Gilmer County, GA: Honestly, the meaning of Gilmer County’s numbers is hard to figure out. On one hand the unit sales of 69 in April was tied for the best month this year and is exactly the same as the full year 2025 monthly average unit sales. However, looking back over past Aprils, we see that this April was the slowest in Gilmer since 2017! It is also 15% lower than the 81unit sales from April 2025. Comparing YTD sales so far this year, Gilmer is behind 2025 by 13%. So, at this point we always look to prices to add some sunshine. While not bad, we don’t get much boost from that this time either. The average sale price in April was $383,747, which beat last April 2025, but was a dip from March and is about 3% lower than the 2025 full-year average price and way down from the $414K average price just in January this year.
Towns County, GA: Our dedicated readers know that Towns is our roller-coaster county. Back in February Towns County had a nice uptick in closings with 24 (up from 16 in January), but then sagged again in March to 19, and now has re-risen in April with 25 closings. All this cycling higher and lower has put Towns in the position of having one more closing over the first four months of 2026 than the same period of 2025! And, did I say “roller coaster?” On prices too Towns makes us woozy. January began with an average transaction price of $519K. It dropped some in February, sliding all the way down to $290K in March. It then rebounded in April to $460,600. If this keeps up we’ll need bungee jump training to watch Town County’s real estate business.
Union County, GA: Union too is running just a little behind 2025 in getting started. The units closed were 53, which is almost the same as March and the previous April 2025. In total, there have been 175 closings in Union the first four months of 2026 compared closely to 180 in the same period of 2025. So, nothing “significant” in units changes. The average price in Union seems to be taking a page from Towns County, although not quite as dramatic. The average price in April was a very nice $400,715, which is roughly similar to the $414K in January, but well ahead of he $289K in March. For reference, the average price in 2025 was $345K. So prices in Union, though bouncing around some, are holding in there pretty well.
RESIDENTIAL: In March I had the pleasure of announcing a $547K average residential price, but now for April I have the displeasure of announcing the much lower average price of $506,632 for homes in our MLS area. Last year’s average price was $521K, so we’re a little below that now as well. Stay hopeful though because 8 of the last 10 years the May the average home price has exceeded the April price. At least some rebound could reasonably be expected next month.
ACREAGE UNIT SALES AND PER ACRE PRICE: (Includes only plain acreage, not lots, lake, commercial, etc: just “raw land”.) The number of acreage sales transactions in March was 10, which is truthfully about average. The price per acre in April was $12,462, which has also been steady now for 3 months, and is still higher than the full 2025 average of about $10,400.
