New listings: up 0.2%
Home sales: up 21.5%
Avg. sale price: $196,700
Avg. appreciation: 7.8%

There were 7,673 homes sold in Clark County in 2003 – a new record, easily beating 2002’s mark of 6,747 closed sales. Year-end sales for residential properties throughout the Clark County area were up a remarkable 21.5% for closed sales (see attached graph). Largely due to steady appreciation of average and median home sale price throughout the year, the total dollar volume in Clark County ballooned to $1.5 billion, another new record. This figure represents a 25% leap over 2002’s then record $1.2 billion in closed sales. As one of the largest real estate firm in Clark County, Coldwell Banker Barbara Sue Seal Properties figured into nearly 15% of this volume.

Many Realtors in Clark County point to the influx of Oregonians into market as being the decisive factor in the boom. It is no secret that Clark County is a huge growth area, driven by its status as a tax haven, affordability relative to Portland, and exceptional schools. Some Realtors report as much as half of their clients are moving from the Portland area.

The average sale price of a home in Clark County increased a healthy 7.8% to $196,700. Homes appreciated at a higher rate than almost anywhere else in the area. For comparison, the Portland metro averaged a 5.8% increase. The areas with the highest appreciation over the course of 2003 were Downtown Vancouver (14.3%), Camas City (14.6%), Brush Prairie (12.7%), and La Center (12.7%). Perhaps not surprisingly, the highest average sale prices in specific areas were found in Camas City ($273,600) and Brush Prairie ($271,500).