Wednesday, July 16, 2008

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Annual housing price decline now tops 25 percent

UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITERS

12:50 p.m. July 15, 2008

San Diego County housing prices dropped a record 25.3 percent on a year-over-year basis last month to stand at $370,000, DataQuick Information Systems reported Tuesday.

It was the lowest overall median since May 2003 and contrasted sharply with the all-time peak of $517,500 set in November 2005.

Single-family resale homes dropped to $405,000 from $420,000 in May and $565,000 in June 2007. Resale condos posted a median $259,000, down from $287,750 in May and $397,500 in June 2007.

Newly built homes rose from $435,000 in May to $490,000 last month, continuing a trend analysts attribute to the near-absence of newly converted condo projects on the market. Those former apartments typically sell for much less than newly constructed condos and houses and dominated the new-housing market until the recent downturn.

Sales topped the 3,000 level for the first time since August in a usual seasonal upswing of activity during spring and summer months. The total stood at 3,077, up from 2,979 from May but down 12.3 percent from year-ago levels. It was the 48th straight month of year-over-year declines in sales activity, a trend that began in July 2004.

Meanwhile, evidence is growing that bargain hunters are bidding more than the asking price for some properties, mostly foreclosures that banks are trying to resell quickly.

HouseRebate.com said 17 percent of all sales countywide in the 30-day period ending June 26 were sold at price higher than the original listing price. A year ago, the overbidding percentage was only 6.5 percent.

HouseRebate CEO Brian Yui said interest is concentrated in houses priced at $500,000 or less. "Things are moving quicker and buyers are dealing with realistic sellers," Yui said.

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