Duluth, GA, Market Report, April 2013

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Market stats for Duluth, April, 2013 indicated that there were 288 properties on the market, up 2 from last month. Overall, there was about a 4.9 month supply of properties. Sales in April were 62, down from 77 a year earlier. Sales were also down compared to the last month (76). Duluth had been slightly leading Gwinnett County as a whole, but not so much over the last few months. It is still in the Seller’s Market zone.

In the Under $200k arena, there were 80 listings in Duluth, GA, with about a 3.0 month supply. The Absorption Rate for last April was 3.8. Sales were WAY down this year v last year (26 v 47), and down compared to last month (35). The Absorption Rate (A/R) is a bit better than much of the county…

Between $200k and $400k, there are 93 listings for sale, and about 4.7 months of supply. Absorption rates have similarly risen, dropped and then risen again. Sales were up compared to April, 2012 (18 v 16) but down compared to last month (26). Duluth is a market that favors luxury, but this segment is not doing as well as I would have expected… but it might be constrained somewhat due to low inventories. It is still a Seller’s Market.

From $400k to $600k, there were 33 homes on the market. The Absorption Rate was around 7.1 months. March brought in 9 sales. There were 6 last year and 3 last month. Unlike many of the market areas, Duluth is a luxury centric market, and it is doing better than the rest of Gwinnett County, GA, especially at this price level. This moth saw a HUGE jump in the A/R. We are still to the Buyer’s Market side, though.

In the $600k to $800k arena, there were 20 listings, with about 4.0 months of supply. Sales were 5 for April… 5 for last year. And month to month sales were down sharply (5 v 9). I would like to see three consecutive months with strong sales, and haven’t seen that for a while. Since Duluth does favor luxury sales, it has been looking better than the much of the rest of the County at this price level. That A/R is great, but not stable.

In Duluth, GA, from $800k to $1m, there were 22 homes listed and approximately 13.2 months of inventory on the market. The 3 sales for April were better than the 1 last year and the 1 last month. Sales haven’t been moving much for the last couple of months, but 5 sales for the last 3 months was the same as the same 3 months from last year (5 sales).

Above $1m, there were 40 properties listed. The current absorption rate indicated about 30 months of inventory. A couple of sales at this level could have a large impact on the Absorption Rates. There were 4 sales in the Feb-Apr period this year, and 4 for the same time last year. We should be posting four sales a month here regularly… and we fell short last month but barely had a start with it this month with 1 sale. There were 2 sales last year and there were 2 for last month.

Duluth, GA is a suburb of Atlanta, in the heart of Gwinnett County. It actually straddles the county line and has unincorporated portions in South Forsyth County. The population of Duluth is estimated as about 26,000 people as of 2008, but this doesn’t include unincorporated areas outside the city limits, but with a Duluth mailing address. It is also home to Sugarloaf Country Club, a PGA stop until recently. Forbes Magazine rated Duluth 26th in their nationwide survey of the best places to move, and it is one of the wealthiest parts of Georgia. It is also home to the Arena at Gwinnett Center (Home of the ECHL Gwinnett Gladiators) and the former Atlanta Thrashers practice facility (the Duluth Ice Forum). There is a LONG list of celebrities and athletes that call Duluth home, largely because of the country clubs and proximity to Atlanta.