SULLIVAN COUNTY — The Sullivan County real estate market is continuing to trend upward in both residential sales and the price of single-family homes.

The Hudson Gateway Association of Realtors (HGAR) released its 2018 annual report last Tuesday for the five counties it supports in the Hudson Valley - Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Orange and Sullivan.

According to HGAR, the five-county region actually saw a 2.6 percent drop in residential units sold.

But Sullivan County was able to buck that trend, showing the greatest in­crease in residential sales - 4.7 percent - going from 954 single-family homes in 2017 to 1,000 homes sold last year.

Lynne Freda, past president and past board chairman of the Sullivan County Board of Realtors, said, “Sales are certainly ticking up. Inventory is low and anything new on the market gets jumped on.

“We have not experienced a huge uptick in prices, although they are up slightly,” she said. “It really comes down to condition, location and if the property is priced right.”

The median sales prices of a single-family home also increased in Sullivan County by 7.8 percent, going from $118,750 in 2017 to $128,000 last year.

Despite a relatively flat market in 2018, HGAR predicts 2019 will remain vibrant as improving inventory numbers, attractive mortgage rates and a healthy economy will keep buyers in the market.

“Possible headwinds for the housing market in 2019 continue to the unknown effect of the tax reform law of 2018 which limits the deductibility of state and local taxes, and a volatile stock market,” the HGAR report said.

Single Family Annual Sales

2017 2018 %±

Sullivan 954 1,000 4.8

Orange 3,836 3,827 -0.2

Putnam 1,019 1,041 2.2

Rockland 2,167 1,917 -11.5

Westchest 6,165 5,876 -4.7

End of year

single family inventory

2017 2018 % ±

Sullivan 410 812 98

Orange 1,446 1,441 -0.3

Putnam 384 392 2.1

Rockland 687 723 5.2

Westchest 1,442 1,358 -5.8

2018 Single Family

Median sale price

% ±

Sullivan $128,000 7.8

Orange $280,102 9.2

Putnam $350,000 3.7

Rockland $460,000 4.5

Westchest $650,000 1.2