IF YOU'RE LOOKING TO BUY A HOME IN ALBUQUERQUE ... YOU'LL HAVE TO LOOK HARDER THAN IN THE RECENT PAST. FEWER HOMES ON THE MARKET IN THE METRO AREA LATELY. JANICE MCCRARY WITH THE GREATER ALBUQUERQUE ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS SAYS INVENTORY IS THE LOWEST IT'S BEEN IN SEVERAL YEARS. SHE SAYS IT'S ABOUT 36 HUNDRED UNITS ... THE LOWEST IN FOUR YEARS. SHE SAYS THE AREA HAD 45-HUNDRED-TO 5 THOUSAND UNITS AT THE PEAK OF THE MARKET.
MCCRARY SAYS 68 PERCENT OF BUYERS ARE KEEPING IT AFFORDABLE, BUYING HOMES IN THE 100 THOUSAND DOLLAR TO 250 THOUSAND DOLLAR RANGE. BUT SHE SAYS SALES ARE SEASONAL AND BOTH INVENTORY AND PRICES COULD PICK UP THIS SUMMER WHEN MORE PEOPLE LOOK FOR HOMES.