May home sales were up 30.6 percent across the Charlotte region, compared to May 2012, according to residential real estate market date from Carolina Multiple Listing Services Inc. Meanwhile,home prices also were up – for the 18th straight month – and new listings showed a gain as well.Closings in May 2013 totaled 3,402, up from 2,605 during the same period in 2012, the Charlotte Regional Realtor Association announced Friday.

Both the median and average sales prices continued to rise, marking 18 consecutive months of price gains across the region. The median sales price ($173,000) was up 4.8 percent over May 2012 ($165,000), and the average sales price in May 2013 ($232,564) was 7 percent higher than May 2012 ($217,442).

The average list price in May 2013 ($272,491) continued to increase, up 14.1 percent over May 2012 ($238,719), bringing the percent of original list price received measure to 94.3 percent compared to 92.2 percent last May. Preliminary pending sales counts for the month totaled 3,970, an increase of 25.8 percent over the previous period when contracts totaled 3,155.

New residential listings totaled 5,111, up 12.9 percent over May 2012. Inventory declined 27.5 percent compared to May 2012, leaving the CarolinaMLS region with a 5-months’ supply of homes for sale.

“With new listings up for a second month, it’s reassuring to see sellers gaining confidence and listing their homes again,” Eric Locher, 2013 Association/CarolinaMLS president, said in the announcement. “And even though inventory is down, it did not decrease at the level of last month, which is why months of supply has edged up a bit. However, current market conditions suggest we will continue to see moderate price increases over much of the selling season.”

The average number of days a property was on the market from the time it was listed until it closed (List to Close) was 138 days, which is a decrease of 11 days compared to May 2012. Days on Market (DOM), the metric that accrues for “Active” and “Under Contract-Show” statuses only, totaled 99 days compared to 111 days for the same period last year. Foreclosures and short sales are down compared to last year, accounting for 8.1 percent of new listings and 10.5 percent of all closed sales in May.

For more residential-housing market statistics, visit www.CarolinaHome.com and click on “Market Data.” For an interview with 2013 Association/CarolinaMLS President Eric Locher, please contact Kim Walker.