Home sales increased in the South Jersey Shore real estate market in May, according to the Long & Foster Market Minute reports. The South Jersey Shore market includes Atlantic and Cape May counties. The Long & Foster Market Minute reports are based on data provided by the South Jersey Shore and Cape May County multiple listing services and their member associations of Realtors and include residential real estate transactions within specific geographic regions, not just Long & Foster sales.

The number of homes sold in the South Jersey Shore region rose last month, with Cape May County experiencing a 20 percent increase and Atlantic County seeing a 1 percent increase. Cape May County also saw at 14 percent increase in median sale price, while there was no year-over-year change in Atlantic County.

Active inventory levels in the region declined in May. In Cape May County, inventory fell by 17 percent, while it decreased by 14 percent in Atlantic County. The days on market (DOM) average for Atlantic County was 97 days, and in Cape May County the DOM average was 142 days.

“Last month, the unemployment rate in the U.S. hit its lowest level in 16 years and wages continued to increase. Even though sparse inventory continues to cause frustration in the real estate market, many areas still saw rising home sales and prices last month, including parts of the South Jersey Shore region,” said Jeffrey S. Detwiler, chief operating officer of The Long & Foster Companies. “This spring has been a busy one for our agents as they’ve expertly worked to guide buyers in finding a home, and we look forward to a healthy summer 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. Information included in this report is based on data supplied by SJS and CMC, which is not responsible for its accuracy. The reports do not reflect all activity in the marketplace. Information contained in this report is deemed reliable but not guaranteed, should be independently verified, and does not constitute an opinion of SJS, CMC or Long & Foster Real Estate.