May 27, 2025

Contact: Kim Walker, 704-940-3149

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Residential real estate activity across the Catawba Valley Region in April show that, despite a year-over-year dip in closed sales, overall market momentum persists amid improving supply and steady pricing trends. The sales data in this report is sourced from Canopy MLS and encompasses single-family homes, condos, and townhomes sold in Alexander, Burke, Caldwell, and Catawba Counties.

Inventory expanded significantly, climbing 31.4 percent year-over-year to 1,084 homes available for sale, raising the months' supply of inventory to 3.2 months, a substantial 28.0 percent increase compared to last April. New construction remains essential to meeting ongoing demand, representing approximately 30 percent of the current listings, a 45.9 percent year-over-year increase.

Despite increased inventory, new listings showed only modest growth of 3.8 percent compared to April 2024, totaling 546 homes and a 10.8 percent increase over March. While any amount of growth is helpful, the availability of smaller, entry-level homes remains limited, with the majority of current listings still featuring four or more bedrooms. New construction added 96 single-family homes and 19 townhomes during April.

Sellers remained confident, reflecting market optimism in their pricing strategies. The average list price grew 8.2 percent year-over-year to $428,673, a slight 1.3 percent decline from March. The median sales price rose 3.8 percent annually, reaching $299,950. Three of the four counties in the region witnessed growth in median sales with only Burke County experiencing a slight dip.

Home values continue to reflect strong buyer demand. The average sales price reached $371,910, rising 1.6 percent year-over-year and 1.5 percent month-over-month, reinforcing stable market conditions. On average, sellers achieved 95.0 percent of their original asking price, nearly flat with last year's performance, despite increased inventory providing more leverage for buyers.

"The spring market is showing healthy dynamics, balancing increased options for buyers with favorable pricing conditions for sellers," stated Dawn Kilby, Realtor®/broker with Realty Executives of Hickory and 2025 president of the Catawba Valley Association of Realtors®. "Strategic pricing and Realtor® guidance remain crucial as buyers evaluate a broader range of homes, while sellers benefit from solid home values."

Buyer activity, measured by showing traffic, remained robust in April, with the region averaging 3.9 showings per listing, totaling approximately 5,300 showings—an increase of 1.7 percent from the previous year. Newton and Hickory continued to see the highest engagement, averaging 5.6 and 5.0 showings per listing, respectively. Buyers were particularly active in the price ranges from $199,000 to $308,999 in Catawba County, $139,000 to $198,999 in Caldwell County, and $309,000 and above in Burke and Alexander Counties.

Pending sales increased by 8.2 percent year-over-year and 18.9 percent over March 2025 to 421 contracts, indicating consistent market interest heading into the heart of the spring season. Conversely, closed sales declined by 14.1 percent from last year to 310 transactions. However, year-to-date closings remain positive, up 3.2 percent overall. New construction homes accounted for 16 percent of the closed sales during April.

Kilby continued, "Homeownership remains within reach for many buyers, especially with resources such as Down Payment Resource (DPR), available on more than 83 percent of Canopy MLS residential listings. DPR has been used to help buyers with down payment assistance and even closing costs. Working closely with a knowledgeable Realtor® to leverage such tools can significantly enhance buyers' purchasing power."

Homes took slightly longer to sell in April, averaging 56 days on market, an increase of 21.7 percent year-over-year and slightly up from March 2025 by 1.8 percent. This indicates that buyers are taking additional time to weigh their options as more inventory becomes available.

A closer look at sales across the four counties:
(Due to smaller sample sizes in counties where there is a smaller pool of listings, percentage increases or decreases may seem extreme)

Alexander County saw an uptick in activity as new listings jumped 29.4 percent year-over-year to 44 homes, while pending sales nearly doubled, rising 89.5 percent to 36 contracts, and closed sales increased 52.6 percent to 29 transactions. Pricing held steady, with the median sales price inching up 0.6 percent to $312,000 and the average sales price climbing 11.3 percent to $419,783. Sellers continued to secure strong offers—averaging 95.6 percent of their original list price—even as homes spent 58 days on market, a 41.5 percent lengthening from last April. Inventory grew 9.2 percent to 71 homes, resulting in a 3.1-month supply, and average list prices dipped slightly by 2.2 percent to $390,200.

Burke County The market dynamics shifted as new listings retreated 10.2 percent to 97 homes, yet pending sales inched up 6.4 percent to 83 contracts; closed sales edged down 2.7 percent to 72 homes sold. The median sales price fell 8.0 percent to $256,500 while the average price dropped 22.1 percent to $285,961. Sellers received 94.2 percent of their list price, down 1.2 percent, and properties lingered longer—averaging 58 days on market, a 93.3 percent increase. Inventory expanded 23.0 percent to 225 homes, and the months’ supply climbed 17.2 percent to 3.4 months, while average list prices surged 23.6 percent to $429,345.

Caldwell County experienced contrasting trends: new listings rose 17.3 percent to 95 homes and pending sales climbed 24.2 percent to 82 contracts, but closed sales fell 26.0 percent to 54 transactions. Buyers paid more, as median sales prices increased 13.4 percent to $268,750 and average prices rose 8.0 percent to $312,603. Sellers fared well, receiving 96.4 percent of list price—up slightly—and homes sold in 45 days on average, 11.8 percent quicker than last April. Inventory increased 50.8 percent to 184 homes, pushing the months’ supply up 57.9 percent to 3.0 months, with average list prices ticking up 1.4 percent to $403,212.

Catawba County Activity cooled this month as closed sales declined 20.5 percent to 155 homes sold, new listings inched up 2.3 percent to 310, and pending sales dipped 2.7 percent to 220 contracts. Price gains were modest: median sales price edged up 0.6 percent to $316,750 while the average sales price rose 7.6 percent to $423,540. Sellers saw 94.8 percent of their list price, down 0.5 percent, and days on market increased 18.0 percent to 59 days. Robust supply growth—inventory jumped 32.7 percent to 604 homes—translated into a 3.1-month supply, up 19.2 percent, and average list prices climbed 7.0 percent to $441,767.

For more residential-housing market statistics, visit CarolinaHome.com and click on “Market Data.” For an interview with 2024 president of Catawba Valley Association of Realtors® Karleta Smith, Realtor®/Broker at Keller Williams Denver, please contact Kim Walker.

Canopy MLS is a wholly-owned subsidiary corporation of Canopy Realtor® Association and is the private broker cooperative used by Realtors® to bring buyers and sellers together with access to thousands of residential listings in a multicounty service area, including Charlotte, Asheville and Catawba Valley regions spanning across North Carolina, South Carolina and outside of the Carolinas. Canopy MLS, which has 21,000 subscribers, provides the most trustworthy, timely, accurate and complete property data along with proprietary tools for showings, market stats, predictive analytics, and more. Canopy MLS is used by its members to support consumers in their residential real estate transactions, whether selling, buying, investing or renting.