Housing sales trend up in Curry, down in Roosevelt

Curry County experienced a 15 percent increase in housing sales from July through September compared to the same period last year, according to the Clovis Board of Realtors.

Twenty miles south the news was not as good as Roosevelt County sales dropped 20 percent during the summer months.

Nationwide home sales increased by 8.4 percent in that same three-month period, according to the National Association of Realtors data numbers.

Brett Johnson, president of the Clovis Board of Realtors, said it's difficult to gauge the local market on a month-by-month basis because it's small.

Johnson attributed home sales increasing from last year within that three-month period to low interest rates and an increase in population.

"The military seems to move people at the beginning of the summer and by the time August rolls around, we're getting them closed," Johnson said. "You can see big spikes when the base is expanding."

Clovis Realtor Katharine Fly agrees with Johnson that summer month sales increase yearly because of base expansion.

"July, August and September are big months from military families moving in," Fly said. "I have seen a big increase in incoming military and people changing houses either to upsize or downsize."

Fly said she had the biggest jump at the end of September and has 10 homes under contract to be reported for the month of October.

Steve Davis, owner of Eastern Sunbelt Real Estate in Portales, said the decrease in home sales in Roosevelt County from last year has been noticeable.

"It just hasn't been a good year period," Davis said. "This year's considerably down from last year for us."

He added that the price homes in Roosevelt County have been at a standstill over the past few months.

Jack Merrick of Buena Vista Realty in Portales said despite what's been reported, he's seen an increase in home sales the past six weeks.

"We were very slow for a while but it has picked up recently," Merrick said.

Monthly units sold (Three-month period)

Roosevelt County

2012

July: 8

August: 8

September: 8

Total: 24

2011

July: 9

August: 13

September: 8

Total: 30

Curry County

2012

July: 44

August: 52

September: 45

Total: 141

2011

July: 42

August: 43

September: 35

Total: 120

Source: Clovis Board of Realtors and National Association of Realtors