By John Lyon
Arkansas News Bureau
LITTLE ROCK — Home sales in Arkansas were 31.6 percent lower in July than a year earlier and 24.7 percent lower than June, the Arkansas Realtors Association reported today.
“The end of the home buyer tax credit is one thing we’re attributing that too — in fact it’s the biggest thing we’re attributing that to,” said Amy Glover Bryant, spokeswoman for the Arkansas Realtors Association.
Statewide, 1,760 homes sold in July, the last month for which totals were available, compared to 2,574 in July 2009. In June, 2,336 homes sold.
The total value of homes sold in July was $268 million, down 31.9 percent from $394 million in July 2009. The average sale price across the state dropped 0.4 percent to $152,512.
Of the 41 counties included in the report, Pulaski County had the most home sales in July with 307, followed by Benton County with 214, Washington County with 160, Saline County with 106, Faulkner and Craighead counties with 97 each and Sebastian County with 85. Jefferson County was ranked 13th with 35 homes sold in July.
Saline County had the highest average sale price in July at $183,175, up 20.6 percent from a year earlier. Next were Cleburne County, down 8.2 percent; Benton County, down 0.9 percent; Pulaski County, down 4.7 percent; and Garland County, up 1.33 percent.
Sebastian County was ranked 12th with an average sale price of $143,589, up 4.7 percent from a year earlier. Jefferson County was 18th at $124,251, down 4.9 percent from July 2009.
