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View Winners → Arcadia Association of Realtors Says Home Sales Stumbled in June
Arcadia Weekly Jul 30, 2018
The year-over-year sales decline was the largest in nearly four years. – Courtesy photo
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The year-over-year sales decline was the largest in nearly four years. – Courtesy photo
The median price hit a new high for the second straight month
California’s median home price edged higher to another peak in June as year-over-year home sales lost steam for the second straight month, the Arcadia Association of REALTORS® said recently.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 410,800 units in June, according to information collected by the California Association of REALTORS® from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2018 if sales maintained the June pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
June’s sales figure was up 0.4 percent from the revised 409,270 level in May and down 7.3 percent compared with home sales in June 2017 of 443,120. The year-over-year sales decline was the largest in nearly four years.
“California’s housing market underperformed again, despite an increase in active listings for the third straight month,” said AAR President, Margaret Garemore. “The lackluster spring homebuying season could be a sign of waning buyer interest as endlessly rising home prices and buyer fatigue adversely affected pent-up demand.”
For the second straight month, the statewide median home price hit another peak price at $602,760 in June. The June statewide median price was up 0.3 percent from $600,860 in May and up 8.5 percent from a revised $555,420 in June 2017. June marked the fifth consecutive month that prices increased by more than 8 percent annually, indicating that price appreciation remains robust and is not showing any signs of leveling off. The median price is now 1.4 percent higher than the pre-recession peak and has been growing on a year-over-year basis for more than six years.
“Although home prices increased year-over-year in virtually every region of the state in June, at the same time, nearly every county experienced a significant contraction in home sales from a year ago,” said AAR Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Cooper. “With the year-to-date sales tally now in negative territory, the back-to-back sales declines could be an early sign that the market is transitioning, especially since further rate increases are expected to hamper homebuyers’ affordability and put a cap on how much they are willing to pay for their new home.”
