Inventory of Single Family Homes is on the Rise

Overall inventory in Naples during April increased 16.5 percent to 1,668 properties from 1,432 properties in April 2021. Fueled by a swell of new single-family home listings, up 5.7 percent over last year, broker analysts reviewing the April 2022 Market Report by the Naples Area Board of REALTORS^® (NABOR^®), which tracks home listings and sales within Collier County (excluding Marco Island), are confident the Naples area housing market has reached a crossroad and is making its turn toward a balanced and healthy market.

“It’s been thirty months since we’ve seen this many single-family home sellers enter our market in one month,” said Bill Coffey. Coffey, along with several top brokers in Naples, say the shift indicates the Naples area housing market is redefining itself. Another major factor that signified the  market was self-correcting to a new normal in April were the 549 price reductions (33 percent of the inventory) during the month.

“What we are seeing today are more sellers setting realistic list prices from the start and more buyers less willing to settle for homes that don’t meet their exact needs and desires,” said Brenda Fioretti, who added that the report showed “we now have 1.5 months of inventory, the highest level since March 2021.”

Demand for the Naples lifestyle remains strong. Days on market for April was 16 days, considerably less than the historic 90-day average. As inventory begins to rise, days on market may increase and list prices in some neighborhoods may shift down slightly; but broker analysts agree that we should not expect home prices to drop to anywhere near pre-pandemic levels.

“There is virtually no data in the MLS for home sales below $300,000,” said Molly Lane.

Coffey remarked that the $300,000 and below market was once the biggest category for closed sales in Naples. But rapid sales during the last 18 months severely depleted inventory in this price category. As such, there were only 96 properties below $300,000 in April’s inventory.

The overall median closed price in April increased 39.2 percent to $599,000 from $440,000 in April 2021. The uptick reflects the low number of sales in the $300 and below price category. Median closed prices continue to rise in the single-family home market, up 8.7 percent from March, but median closed prices during April in the condominium market decreased 1.1 percent from March.

The NABOR^® April 2022 Market Report provides comparisons of single-family home and condominium sales (via the Southwest Florida MLS), price ranges, and geographic segmentation and includes an overall market summary. NABOR^® sales statistics are presented in chart format, including these overall (single-family and condominium) findings for 2022:

Even though inventory rose 39.5 percent in the single-family home market during April, pent up demand for this property type did not temper its median closed price. “When inventory rises, buyers have more options. If inventory continues to rise, it should create more balance during negotiations between sellers and buyers,” said Dominic Pallini.

Rising mortgage rates are likely reducing the number of buyers who can get pre-qualified for a home purchase in Naples, but it did not negatively impact buyer interest during April. In fact, there were over 200 more showing appointments during the month than reported in March, and 66.7 percent of all closed sales in April were cash sales.

 The Naples Area Board of REALTORS^® (NABOR^®) is an established organization (Chartered in 1949) whose members have a positive and progressive impact on the Naples community. NABOR^® is a local board of REALTORS^® and real estate professionals with a legacy of over 60 years serving 7,500 plus members. NABOR^® is a member of Florida Realtors^® and the National Association of REALTORS^®, which is the largest association in the United States with more than 1.5 million members and over 1,200 local boards of REALTORS^® nationwide. NABOR^® is structured to provide programs and services to its membership through various committees and the NABOR^® Board of Directors, all of whose members are non-paid volunteers.