Lots and Land Sales Report for Sonoma County
[caption id="attachment_1732" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Residential Lots near the Sonoma Plaza"][/caption]Since home prices declined so significantly since 2007, the market for buildable lots and land in Sonoma County has been very slow for the last few years. That has started to change as new construction is picking up again. Also, in Sonoma County, picky buyers from out of the area with specific home design desires are beginning to build their own custom homes again. Again, while the unit sales are slow for lots and land, sales are picking up. These figures do not include commercial lots, but they do include agricultural lots. The market for plantable vineyard land, and existing vineyards of high quality, is rather strong. Weighing against new construction are ever escalating contruction and building costs, along with city and county regulations. For a post on Sonoma County's Permit and Resources Department (PRMD) click here. In Sonoma County as well we are seeing an increased impact on building concerning endangered or threatened species such as the California tiger salamander, the Pritkin marsh lily and the bank swallow. Again, a caution in that the sample sizes here are so small that it is difficult to draw conclusions from them. I really am including these for reference purposes. Please let me know if you have any questions. Sonoma Lots and Land...
Russian River Home Sales Report
[caption id="attachment_1723" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Russian River Views from Forestville looking North"][/caption]The Russian River area of Sonoma County extends from Forestville, which lies between Sebastopol and Healdsburg, through Guerneville and Monte Rio to Duncan's Mills near the coast in Jenner. It also includes tiny Rio Nido, Camp Meeker and the rustic hills and forests of Cazadero. It is a very diverse area with more than its share of towering redwoods and river beaches. Historically a summer playground for San Francisco, the river also is a full time home to many. Homes can be more affordable here. Recently the river market was slower to react to the housing crisis, but saw its share of foreclosures and distressed properties later on. Aa elsewhere, inventory is declining as sales volume improves. One thing I'd like to point out with these charts is that many of them show the number of bank-owned properties that have sold as a percentage of the overall market. This would be true for any of the sales reports I have posted. Russian River Home Sales Report ...
Coastal Sonoma Home Sales Report
[caption id="attachment_1717" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Bodega Harbour View on a not so Sunny Day"][/caption]The Sonoma Coast is truly one of the most magnificent places on earth. Every once in a while I catch a car ad on TV and I say--hey that is just north of Jenner. I guess the art directors for the advertising companies agree. The recent Tour of California saw the race emerge on the coast above Jenner and travel down Route 1 to Coleman Valley Road, where they made their way back inland (and uphill) to the finish. The unit sales in the coastal market are in the single digits, not including Sea Ranch to the north. So, the statistical value is week. The coastal market was very hot this last winter, which is one of the most beautiful seasons on the coast. We can be socked in with tule fog inland and it will be bright and sunny out in Bodega Bay, as I discovered last winter when I was showing property from Dillon Beach to Gualala. Even with the small sample size, the behavior of the real estate market in coastal Sonoma this winter was an early clue to the heat of the overall Sonoma County real estate market this spring. Same message, rising sales and declining inventory. Coastal Sonoma Home Sales Report...
Petaluma and Penngrove Home Sales Report
Petaluma is one of the larger towns in Sonoma County, and it is bordered by Penngrove on the northeast corner. This area is closest to Marin County to the south and the commute locations of the Bay Area, so it tends to be more influenced by those factors and a bit more expensive than the rest of the corridor along highway 101 going north further in to Sonoma County. It is no surprise that home inventorys are down 39 percent from April 2010, and that there are only 1.9 months supply of homes for sale at the current rate. Here are the sales reports for the last two years for Petaluma (east and west) and Penngrove. Petaluma and Penngrove Home Sales Report...
April 30, 2012 Sonoma County Real Estate Stats Show Increasing Demand and Very Low Inventory of Homes for Sale
Increasing demand and shrinking supply in homes, ranches and condos in Sonoma County. Something's gotta give. Take a look at the latest real estate market statistics and see for yourself what is happening in the real estate market....
Home Sales Report for the town of Sonoma and the Valley of the Moon
The town of Sonoma has long had the most cachet in Sonoma County, although Healdsburg is coming fast. This sales report looks at the whole Valley of the Moon, including Glen Ellen and Kenwood as well as Sonoma town. There is a bit more sales volume here, but the sample size is somewhat small, while bigger than both Sebastopol and Healdsburg. Like the other towns, median sales prices can be impacted by outlier high end home and ranch sales, so beware of drawing too many conclusions. Bottom line, inventory is shrinking and sales are up. The chart below shows newly pending sales that have not yet closed. As of the end of April newly pending sales were at the highest level in Sonoma of any month in the last two years, exceeding even the normally higher summer months for new sales. Inventory is at only 2.6 months supply, very low considering that Sonoma has a big mix of some very high end homes and ranches factored in to these figures. This are may have the highest percentage rate of sales of properties over a million dollars in Sonoma County. Sonoma Home Sales Report ...
Santa Rosa Home Sales Update: Only 1.3 Months Supply of Inventory Available, Down 60 Percent!
[caption id="attachment_1701" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Real Estate is Coming up Roses in Santa Rosa"][/caption]Santa Rosa is the big kahuna town in Sonoma County, so it's market stats for real estate will be a bit more true and resemble more of Sonoma County as a whole. Again, no surprise in the story here. Declining inventory. Two years ago, inventory was already low, but real estate sales were concentrated under $300,000 or so. Now the market is finally more active at all price points. In April 2010 there were only 3.2 months supply of inventory. Anything between four to six months is considered "balanced" between buyers and sellers. Fast forward to April 2012 and MONTHS SUPPLY OF INVENTORY is only 1.3, down a whopping SIXTY (60) PERCENT! I think if we only looked at homes priced under $500,000 we would find that there are only TWO WEEKS of inventory available, similar to some hot markets in the immediate Bay Area. Something's gotta give. Can you say "price increases"? haSanta Rosa Home Sales Report...
Healdsburg Homes and Ranches Market Update
[caption id="attachment_1693" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Pointing the way in a Westside Road garden in Healdsburg"][/caption]Healdsburg is one of the most desirable communities in Sonoma County and is fast becoming a desination for travellers and homebuyers from all over the globe. Much of Healdsburg's charm stems from the fact that it is a small town. Small town sales volume does not lend itself to great real estate stats since the sample size is so small. That is why I mostly look at sales and real estate market stats county wide. Nevertheless, once in a while we look at individual communities. By looking back at charts over a two year period you can see the seasonality of the numbers and get a little more of a feel for the market. Beware though. Healdsburg has seen some of the highest sales prices in the county (in the many millions) and also has some more typical lower entry level prices around $300,000. If you throw in a property that sells for many many millions of dollars one month in to the mix with only a few other homes and you will see wild fluctuations in median and average prices. That doesn't mean the price of your Healdsburg home has gone up fifty percent in a month as the slide on median sold prices indicates! Probably the most telling slide is the one that shows supply and demand. Inventory of homes for sale is down 34% over the last two years, and the number of sold properties is up 24%. Increasing demand, declining supply. Same story you see throughout Sonoma County. Healdsburg for its size has a higher percentage of expensive homes and ranches, and has had fewer distressed sales. Healdsburg Home Sales Report ...
A look at Sebastopol Area Home Sales April 2010 through April 2012
[caption id="attachment_1684" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Apple orchards give way to vineyard views in this typical Sebastopol country side scene off Burnside Road"][/caption]. Here is a look back at residential real estate sales in the Sebastopol area of Sonoma County, including Graton and Occidental, from April 2010 through April 2012. The reason I usually post county wide numbers is that it is easier to discern pricing and other trends on a month to month basis with the numbers for the county as a whole. You might be interested in just your town, so from time to time I will pull just the numbers for a specific locale, in this case the greater Sebastopol area. Though a small sample size makes it difficult to spot month to month trends, in general inventory is declining and sales activity rising, resulting in only 2.4 months supply of homes for sale in Sebastopol. Two years ago there were 4.6 months supply of inventory. Sales activity is strong but declined slightly (by one house--see what I mean?) in April 2012 compared to April 2010. Take a look through the reports and let me know if you have any questions! By the way, I archive these reports at a document sharing site called Scribd Sebastopol Home Sales Report...
Sonoma County Real Estate Pending Home Sales Reach New Heights in April 2012
I generally post a whole set of statistic sheets for county wide residential sales in Sonoma County real estate, but wanted to pick one which said it all. This is it. In April 715 homes went under contract to purchase, up from 647 in March, and significantly up over last April and April 2010....