Кyiv, 17 march - SV Development.  Mike Cassidy said he’s tired of talking about dreary residential sales numbers in Oklahoma City.

The number of home sales closed in February was 997, an increase from 741 in January. But that was down from February 2008 when 1,264 homes sold, according to the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors. (Photo by Maike Sabolich)

The number of home sales closed in February was 997, an increase from 741 in January. But that was down from February 2008 when 1,264 homes sold, according to the Oklahoma City Metropolitan Association of Realtors.February’s average price was $139,632, down from $146,837 in January.

The news wasn’t any better for housing starts. The Central Oklahoma Home Builders Association reported February permits for new residential construction were down more than 38 percent in February compared to the same period one year earlier. The year-to-date numbers are down more than 50 percent compared to 2008, with only 391 permits issued so far compared to 793 by the end of February last year.
But Cassidy, owner/broker of Paradigm Advantage, said activity is on the rise.
“There’s a lot of activity right now and a lot of contracts are coming in,” he said. “March should be better.”

Jan Astani, director of marketing for Home Creations, said new home sales are also starting to rise.

Since Jan. 1 Home Creations has written contracts for 134 homes in Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Lawton. So far 43 have closed.

“You can sell them all day long but the important thing is when you get them closed and have money in hand,” Astani said.

Last year Home Creations had 389 closings, an average of 32 per month.

The company targets buyers who can now benefit from an $8,000 federal tax credit for first-time buyers or those who have not owned a home in the last three years.
“We attribute a lot of our sales to that $8,000 tax credit,” Astani said.
Cassidy said existing homes priced at $150,000 or less are doing well due to the tax credit.

“That has gotten some people out there,” he said.

For February, Oklahoma City-area homes were on the market for an average of 94 days. The number of listings was 8,686, down from 9,076 in February 2008.

SV Development