The 4th quarter of 2019 looked a lot like the 4th quarter of 2018. Total sales increased ever so slightly, up from 130 in 2018 to 132 sales in 2019. In looking at numbers month-by-month, while 2019 saw a few more sales in October and December, it was balanced out by a few less sales in November. Dollar volume was also similar quarter to quarter, and actually dropped 1.7% from Q4 2018, recording a total of $254,800,000 in Q4 2019. Monthly dollar volume in 2019 outpaced 2018 most significantly in October, recording over $108 million in volume vs $91 million in October 2018. November was a bit slower in 2019 while December was identical at $66 million for the month. As expected, the average sale price was also consistent between 2018 and 2019 slipping down to $1.93 million from $1.99 million in 2018. In analyzing price points, sales in the $1-3 million range were up 15% while sales in the $500,000-$1,000,000 range dropped by 17% compared to Q4 2018. This upward shift in price point is reflected in the median sales price, which was higher in each month of Q4 2019. Sales under $500,000 stayed consistent, recording 12 sales in all of the 4th quarter. Townhomes and condos represented slightly more of the sales in 2019, while lot sales remained steady, representing 16% of all sales in Q4 2019.  What does all this mean? While things aren’t necessarily slowing down, the rate of acceleration has appeared to slow. Will we see more of the same in 2020 or is this an indication of the market leveling off as we enter the next decade? Stay tuned!

New inventory was down, but listing prices were up in the 4th quarter of 2019, where 18 fewer properties hit the market – a drop of 17% from the same time in 2018. New listings were down every month in the 4th quarter with the biggest drop coming in October, when only 34 properties hit the market (vs. 46 in October 2018). Despite having 17% fewer options in 2019, buyers saw those options increase in price with total dollar volume jumping 12% from Q4 2018. October & December were big dollar months, recording $116 million and $117 million in new listings respectively. As a result, the average listing price jumped up dramatically in the 4th quarter, going from $2.3 million in Q4 2018 to above $3 million in Q4 2019. The median list price saw a more modest, yet still significant, increase from $1.26 million to $1.37 million – a jump of 9%. The spike in dollar volume and average listing price is supported by the price point of several high end listings in Q4 2019. While a similar number of these $3+ million listings hit the market in Q4 2019 and Q4 2018, this past year saw several ultra-high-end listings including: a contemporary home with stunning views atop Spring Creek Ranch for $15 million, a 3 lot estate on 20+ acres south of Wilson for $25 million, and a recently listed 18,000 sq foot home, guest home and barn on 215 acres in the heart of Jackson Hole for $35 million. For much of 2019, we saw higher priced inventory replace the lower price sales, a pattern that can’t be sustainable for long in our market. How will Q1 2020 compare? Will more high end listings continue to flood the market, while the “local’s market” sees fewer and fewer options? How will that affect demand in each of those segments? Stay tuned…