LAKEPORT >> The Lake County Association of Realtors (LCAOR) reported that the number of sales in December increased by 8 percent more than November sales.
A total of 93 single-family units sold last month compared to 86 in November. The December sales were the second most in a month for 2015 with June topping the list at 109.
The median sales price of $216,000 pulled back from the November median sales price of $252,250 which marked the high point for a monthly median price in 2015. The December median was the second highest monthly sales price for 2015.
The December median sales price of $216,000 was 42 percent higher than the December 2014 median sales price of $152,000. In December of 2014 there were 53 sales making the 93 sales in December 2015 more than 75 percent higher on a year-to-year basis.
“The last three months of 2015 ended strongly,” said Erin Woodward, LCAOR president. “Both median sales prices and number of sales compared favorably to other months of the year. The real estate community did not know what to expect after the fires and many expected sales to slow, but that was not the case.”
Inventory levels in both November and December fell to four months. A normal level of monthly inventory is considered to be six months. In some years the December inventories can be low as sellers wait to list their properties after the holidays. Continued low inventories can lead to a seller’s market.
Sales financed by cash fell to 25.6 percent of the transactions after they made up 47.7 percent of the deals in November. Conventional loans accounted for 53.5 percent of the financing with another 10.5 percent of the transactions being financed through Federal Housing Administration loans.
Distressed sales increased to 17 percent of the sales after making up only 4.7 percent of the deals in November.
On a statewide basis the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) reported that existing, single-family home sales totaled 405,530 in December, up 9.6 percent from November 2015 and up 10.7 percent from December 2014. The median sales price was $489,310 up 2.6 percent from November and up 8.0 percent from December 2014.
