Long Beach CA Sales Report for October 2009

For residential 1-4 unit properties in Long Beach (that includes condos, houses, lofts, for October 2009, the median price is down 3% from one year ago: $340,000 down to $329,000 for the city.

• The number of sold properties reached a high point during the summer, but in October the total number of sales decreased by 20% from one year ago.
  It also took less time to sell a property in 2009 than in 2008.
• One of the most dramatic pictures continues to be the decrease in inventory by over 50% since one year ago--
• This has been a steady decline in inventory over the last 12 months, to just over a thousand residential properties on the market at the end of October 2009.
• The number of properties in escrow is up by 23%.
• The number of new properties listed is down by over 31% from one year ago.
• What this all adds up to is the months' supply of inventory has decreased from 7 months one year ago, to 2 months this year, meaning at the current rate of sales, all housing inventory in the category would be gone in two months, if no new listings came on the market.

For buyers, especially in the market under $400,000, this has meant fierce competition, not just in Long Beach but in the entire Southern California area, since this is the market that is in the most demand for 1st time homebuyers that make up at least 60% of home sales at this time. Buyers in this range continue to be out bid by all cash, or more cash down payment, buyers. For this group of buyer it's very important to be persistant and to be patient (although after both buyer and agent have been through many many rejected offers, it takes even more fortitude than ever).

The West Coast market should be helped out in 2010 as the temporary jumbo loan limits initiated for 2009 have been extended through 2010 . Nevada, California and Florida are the top 3 states nationwide in number of foreclosure filings, and according to RealtyTrac, and October was the third consecutive month for a drop in numbers of foreclosed properties, however, what the impact of foreclosed inventory will bring in 2010 with new scheduled loan resets remains to be seen.

For a more specific look at your neighborhood or zip code and pricing your property to sell, please call me or e-mail me to receive a local report. To find all active listing on the market, go to the MLS property tab at www.juliahuntsman.com.