April O.C. home sales start up 25%

Wondering what's going on in the Orange County Real Estate market?
Here is the latest......

For the 22 busness days ending April 6 - DataQuick's first glimpse
into how this month is going - Orange County Showed...
By Jon Lansner

For 22 days ending April 6

Type _____ Price _____ Yr. ago _____ Sales _____ Yr. ago

Houses ____ $430,000 _____ -23.9% ______ 1,590 _____ +31.7%

Condos _____ $258,500 _____ -31.1% ______ 734 ______ +40.9%

New ______ $439,000 _____ -16.4% _______ 95 _______ -53.2%

All O.C. ____ $380,000 _____ -24.3% ______ 2,419 _____ +25.3%

• a $380,000 median selling price that is -24.3% vs. a year ago and -41% below June 2007’s peak of $645,000.


• Single family homes selling for 41% less than their peak pricing (June ‘07) while condos sell 45% below their peak in March 2006. Builder prices for new homes are 49% below their February ‘05 top.


• In this most recent period, O.C. shoppers bought 2,419 residences — that is +25.3% vs. year-ago buying activity. (From 1997-2006, monthly sales averaged 4,304 per month.)


• March was 9th straight month of sales gains vs. the year-ago period. That follows 33 consecutive months where sales failed to beat the previous year’s pace.

Sabrina Solesbee