24 October 2007

C.A.R. REPORTS SALES DECREASE 38.9 PERCENT, MEDIAN HOME PRICE FALLS 4.7 PERCENT

Home sales decreased 38.9 percent in September in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home fell 4.7 percent, C.A.R. reported today.

"While it is typical for the median price to dip seasonally as we move from August to September, this decline -- which was both the largest month-to-month percentage decline on record and the first year-to-year decline in more than 10 years -- was mainly the result of the credit or liquidity crunch, which also drove sales below the 300,000 mark," said C.A.R. President Colleen Badagliacco.

"California's sales fell more steeply than those of the U.S. as a whole because of its heavy reliance on jumbo loans -- those above the conforming loan limit of $417,000," she said. "This speaks to the need to raise the conforming loan limit in higher-cost states like California to more accurately reflect the cost of housing."

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