March brought some good news to the Baltimore real estate market with the region experiencing an increase in the number of homes sold, according to The Long & Foster Market Minute reports. The Baltimore real estate market includes Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Howard and Harford counties and the city of Baltimore.

The Long & Foster Market Minute reports are compiled from data from residential real estate transactions within specific geographic regions, not just Long & Foster sales.

The number of homes sold in the Baltimore region increased compared to March 2014, with Baltimore City seeing a 31 percent increase followed by Baltimore County with a 27 percent increase. Anne Arundel County experienced a jump of 25 percent and Howard County saw the number of homes sold rise by 23 percent. Harford County experienced a 17 percent increase in the number of homes sold.

Median sale prices varied within the region, with Harford County seeing an increase of 6 percent, followed by Baltimore County with a 4 percent increase. The median sale price in Anne Arundel County increased by 1 percent, while other areas experienced decreases of 7 percent to 21 percent.

Active inventory also varied in the Baltimore region in March compared to year-ago levels, with Baltimore City and Baltimore County seeing decreases of 4 percent and 1 percent, respectively. Inventory increased by 1 percent in Harford County and by 2 percent in Anne Arundel County, while Howard County saw a 9 percent increase.

Many homes in the region are selling in less than three months on average. Howard County experienced the lowest days on market (DOM) average at 61 days. Homes in Baltimore City and Baltimore County experienced a DOM of 73 days, followed by Harford County at 81 DOM. Anne Arundel County saw a DOM average of 86 days.

“In March, we saw some positive trends in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast real estate market, including in the Baltimore region, where we saw increases the number of homes sold,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, president and chief operating officer for The Long & Foster Companies. “We saw consumer spending increase in March for the first time since November, and with rising consumer spending comes higher consumer confidence, and that bodes well for the housing market.”

The Long & Foster Market Minute is an overview of market statistics based on residential real estate transactions and presented at the county level. The easy-to-read and easy-to-share reports include information about each area’s units sold, active inventory, median sale prices, months of supply, new listings, new contracts, list to sold price ratio, and days on market. Featuring reports for more than 500 local areas and neighborhoods in addition to more than 100 counties in eight states, The Long & Foster Market Minute is offered to buyers and sellers as they aim to make well-informed real estate decisions.

The Long & Foster Market Minute reports are available at www.LongandFoster.com, and you can subscribe to free updates for the reports in which you’re interested.