Home sales were up across most of the Charlottesville region, even as the number of homes on the market declined in February, according to Long & Foster Real Estate.

Long & Foster Real Estate’s Market Minute report for the Charlottesville region includes the City of Charlottesville and Albemarle, Buckingham, Nelson, Fluvanna and Greene counties.

Home sales increased significantly in a number of areas in the region. In Nelson County, the number of properties sold rose by 136 percent, while Buckingham and Fluvanna counties experienced increases of 43 percent and 42 percent, respectively. Buckingham County also saw its median sale price jump by 80 percent.

Inventory continues to decline month after month and prices are on the rise. For most homeowners planning to sell, now is a good time, said Larry “Boomer” Foster, president of Long & Foster Real Estate.

“In real estate, like the stock market, you like to buy low and sell high,” Foster said. “If you sell your house today, at most price points you’re going to be selling high. You could make some money.”

Foster said home prices are increasing, but not at the rates seen during the real estate bubble 10 years ago.

The market is good for sellers who have lived in their homes for a few years and want to downsize or buy a move-up home, he said. If homeowners can find another home they want, they stand to realize tax-sheltered capital gains from selling.

Although many buyers are out looking, Foster said it’s more important than ever for a seller to choose a real estate professional to market their home and get the best price.

“Having a skilled Long & Foster agent to negotiate on your behalf will likely end up netting you more money,” Foster said. “You want a professional to price your home correctly, to expose it to the marketplace and to drum up maximum demand. What matters is the amount you put in your pocket when the sale goes through.”

The Long & Foster Market Minute is an overview of market statistics based on residential real estate transactions for more than 500 local areas and neighborhoods and over 100 counties in eight states. The easy-to-read, easy-to-share reports include information about each area’s units sold, active inventory, median sale prices, list to sold price ratio, days on market and more.

Information included in this report is based on data supplied by Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors, which are not responsible for its accuracy. The reports include residential real estate transactions within specific geographic regions, not just Long & Foster sales, and they 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 CAAR or Long & Foster Real Estate.