March home sales and price report

March home sales and price report

For release:   April 16, 2012

California median home price posts first year-to-year increase in 16 months;
low inventory demonstrates limited need for bulk REO sales, C.A.R. says

LOS ANGELES (April 16) – California home sales declined in March from February’s pace, while the median home price snapped a 16-month annual price decline and posted its first year-over-year gain, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.).

“While home sales were down statewide, the housing market continued to perform at a solid pace by historical standards. In fact, sales jumped significantly in most regions of the state, with many areas experiencing double-digit gains,” said C.A.R. President LeFrancis Arnold. “Tight inventory and robust home sales, particularly in the San Francisco Bay Area, fueled the substantial increase in the March median home price.”

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 505,360 units in March, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. Sales in March were down 4.5 percent month-over-month and 2.3 percent year-to-year. The statewide sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2012 if sales maintained the March pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

The statewide median price of an existing, single-family detached home jumped 9.2 percent to $291,080 in March from February’s $266,660 median price and was up 1.6 percent from a revised $286,550 recorded in March 2011. The month-to-month increase was the largest since March 2004.

For the full report click here:  http://www.car.org/newsstand/news/march2012sales

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