NC Mecklenburg sales down, but not equally

ALLEN NORWOOD , The Charlotte Observer

Real estate folks like to point out that an average is just that, an average. When average sales are down, that doesn't mean sales are down by the same amount in every neighborhood. In fact, sales could be up in some areas, including yours.

Elementary-school math says that's true, and there's plenty of other evidence. Average home prices are down across the country, according to the respected Case-Shiller report – but up slightly in Charlotte .

I wondered whether local sales could be up in one of the nine multiple listing areas in Mecklenburg County , so I compared sales figures for March with the same month last year. The quick answer is no.

As you might imagine, though, Mecklenburg sales aren't down equally.

Sales dipped the least – 19 percent – in Area 8, northwest of uptown. They fell the most in southwest Mecklenburg 's Area 6, where they dropped 38 percent. The average for the nine listing areas was 26 percent.

Sales were down at Lake Norman and Lake Wylie , in listing areas that include slivers of Mecklenburg and other counties.

But I did find sales actually up in one lake listing area. March sales of homes, condos and townhouses through Carolina Multiple Listing Services rose 19 percent at Mountain Island Lake .