YORK COUNTY — Area real estate agents say continued tight inventory and slower than usual purchases in January are factors that resulted in a double-digit decrease in York County housing sales in the first quarter of this year compared to the same period in 2018.

Figures released last week by the Maine Association of Realtors show there were 501 existing single-family homes sold countywide from Jan. 1 through March 31 of this year — down from 560 in 2018, a decrease of 10.54 percent. Statewide, existing home sales were down 5.58 percent for the first quarter.

For the first quarter of 2019, the median single-family home price in York County was lower than the same time period in 2018 — at $275,000 as opposed to $276,200, less than one half of one percent, according to MAR. Statewide, the median price was at $205,000 for the first quarter of this year, up from $202,500 a year ago.

Julie Grady, president of the York County Council of the Maine Association of Realtors, said most of the first quarter slump was in January. She said sales in York County for February and March were the same as the prior year.

She said low inventories across all price ranges are affecting sales.

“If buyers don’t see that they want, they wait,” said Grady.

Steve Cabana, a realtor with Town Square Realty Group in Sanford, said he also attributes the fewer number of sales to the lack of inventory, particularly for those who are just entering the market.

“There’s a lack of inventory for first time home buyers. … and for what they qualify for, the price point, that’s what I’m seeing,” said Cabana. “I don’t see it being a depressed marked at all, not in the foreseeable future.”

He pointed out that across Sanford, there are just 50 active properties available, and believes that number should be around  120 to 150. He said the 50 active listings  span the price range from $100,000 to $500,00 homes. Cabana said there have been times when there are fewer than 50 homes actively on the market.

He said there are an equal number of homes under contract in the city.

“What we typically see, when something comes on the market, there is such a buyer pool, it’s just two or three days and its under contract,” he said. “We have buyers, qualified buyers, and not enough inventory.”

Cabana said winter weather does have an impact, and the partial government shutdown that stretched from Dec. 22 to Jan. 25 played a role, since some sales couldn’t proceed, depending on the loan program involved.

“We’re coming into the busiest season right now, said Grady. “I anticipate the numbers will be back on track.”

Across Maine, sales were up in Androscoggin, Aroostook, Hancock, Kennebec, Knox, Sagadahoc, Waldo and Washington counties from January through March, and down in Cumberland, Franklin, Lincoln, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset, and York counties, as compared to the same period a year ago.

For the month of March, sales were down 3.11 percent statewide. The Maine Association of Realtors does not provide single month figures for individual counties.

Peter Harrington, 2019 president of the Maine Association of Realtors, agreed with Grady and Cabana’s  assessment and spoke of the March statewide figures.

“Typically, with a decline in the number of sales, we’d see an increase in the for-sale inventory, but that’s not the case this month with sales down 3 percent and for-sale inventory down 5.5 percent,” Harrington said. “Buyers are in the marketplace, but may not be finding the home that meets their needs due to the tight supply.”

— Senior Staff Writer Tammy Wells can be contacted at 780-9016 or twells@journaltribune.com.