As of today, there are:
-432 active listings compared to 435 one year ago.
-52 listings with accepted offers or purchase and sales agreements compared to 43 one year ago. Lower inventory, albeit not much, and more deals must be signs of an improving market.
There is also noticeably more activity on Island this winter than the past three or four winters. I do not have any hard facts to support that, but I do have an all-telling sign; the owner of one of the main fast-food places on the Strip told me that he has not been able to take a vacation this year because his place has been so busy and that his customers are primarily contractors.
Another sign of a strengthening Nantucket economy, my brother and I had one of our spaces on Centre Street become vacant on 1/1/12. We did a little advertising. 15+ inquiries and two weeks later, we signed a long-term lease.
As long as we don’t have another major shock to the system, I think we’ll have a good year.