Transaction Center
Time to bring it home. Find zipForm®, transaction tools, and all the closing resources you'll need. Except for the champagne — that's on you.
Californians for Homeownership was founded in response to the California Legislature’s call for public interest organizations to fight local anti-housing policies on behalf of the millions of California residents who need access to more affordable housing.
Programs and grants to provide direct assistance to address the housing crisis in California.
Make A Donation to HAFThe Rising Star Award program is a C.A.R. initiative designed to work with the brokerage community to recognize their up-and-coming agents.
C.A.R. stands ready to assist REALTORS® who have been impacted by wildfires through its Disaster Relief Fund and NAR's REALTORS® Relief Foundation.
California Disaster ResourcesScholarships for California students planning to pursue a career in real estate.
Find out more information on key diversity and inclusion programs and projects available.
Fair Housing Latino Professionals Network C.A.R. Women's InitiativeNew to the industry? YPN is a network to sharpen your skills, heighten your leadership, and connect with fellow REALTORS®.
As a member of C.A.R., you receive more than 100 free and discounted benefits. Find out more about your member benefits here.
NAR Member Discounts C.A.R. Insurance ProductsAs a C.A.R. member you may have questions about your association and the industry. Find the answers here.
New Member FAQs Glossary Service ProvidersC.A.R.'s annual consumer advertising campaign creates awareness of the REALTOR® brand and demonstrates the many benefits of the consumer-REALTOR® relationship.
Online Campaign Paid Social Partnerships Podcasts Search Sponsorship and Branding Video CampaignC.A.R. is a statewide trade association dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate.
Annual ReportThe CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® is committed to bring you tools and information to help you succeed. Here are some of the innovative tools, services and education C.A.R. provided to help you achieve your professional goals.
C.A.R.'s Media Center houses the Association's news releases, media guidelines, and logos.
News ReleasesC.A.R. and its subsidiaries are currently recruiting for the following job opportunities.
Administrative Assistant - Corporate Legal IT Helpdesk and Technical Training Coordinator Member Experience Insights Analyst Political Affairs CoordinatorLooking for additional assistance? The Customer Contact Center is looking forward to serving you Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 4:45 p.m.
Need help finding the right person? Try searching through our various rosters & directories.
January 17, 2019
California home sales close year on downward trend as home prices post mild gains, C.A.R. reports
- Existing, single-family home sales totaled 372,260 in December on a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, down 2.4 percent from November and down 11.6 percent from December 2017.
- December’s statewide median home price was $557,600, down 0.5 percent from November and up 1.5 percent from December 2017.
- Statewide active listings rose for the ninth straight month, increasing 30.6 percent from the previous year.
- The statewide Unsold Inventory Index was 3.5 months in December, down from 3.7 months in November.
- For the year as a whole, sales were down 5.2 percent from 2017.
LOS ANGELES (Jan. 17) – California home sales declined for the eighth straight month in December, and a stagnating market for much of the year pushed sales lower in 2018 for the first time in four years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.
Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 372,260 units in December, according to information collected by C.A.R. 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 December pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.
December’s sales figure was down 2.4 percent from the revised 381,400 level in November and down 11.6 percent from home sales in December 2017 of 420,960. December marked the fifth month in a row that sales were below 400,000 and the lowest level of sales sold since January 2015.
“The housing market continued to shift in December and drift downward as sales have fallen double digits for the past three out of four months,” said C.A.R. President Jared Martin. “This trend is expected to continue, as buyers remain cautious about the murky housing market outlook due primarily to the volatility in the financial markets and uncertainty in the economic and political arenas.
“Additionally, housing markets in and around the wildfire areas have been exhibiting unusual patterns that could remain unsettled for the next few months. The impact, however, is confined mostly within the region and should not have a noticeable effect in the housing market at the state level.”
The statewide median home price declined to $557,600 in December. The December statewide median price was up 0.5 percent from $554,760 in November and up 1.5 percent from a revised $549,550 in December 2017. The statewide median home price for the year as a whole was $570,010, up 6.0 percent from $537,860 in 2017.
“California’s housing market in 2018 was hindered by endlessly rising home prices and interest rate hikes, which combined to erode housing affordability and hamper home sales,” said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Leslie Appleton-Young. “As a result, while the statewide median home price surpassed its previous peak and set a new record in 2018, annual home sales fell for the first time in four years to a preliminary 402,750 closed escrows in California, down from 2017’s pace of 424,890.
“In the coming months, we expect a brief hiccup in sales as the government shutdown temporarily delays closings due to interruptions in IRS income verification or the processing of HUD, VA and USDA loans,” said Appleton-Young.
Other key points from C.A.R.’s December 2018 resale housing report include:
Graphics (click links to open):
Note: The County MLS median price and sales data in the tables are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state and represent statistics of existing single-family detached homes only. County sales data are not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home. The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical than average prices, which are skewed by a relatively small share of transactions at either the lower-end or the upper-end. Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost, as well as changes in the characteristics and the size of homes sold. The change in median prices should not be construed as actual price changes in specific homes.
*Sales-to-list-price ratio is an indicator that reflects the negotiation power of home buyers and home sellers under current market conditions. The ratio is calculated by dividing the final sales price of a property by its last list price and is expressed as a percentage. A sales-to-list ratio with 100 percent or above suggests that the property sold for more than the list price, and a ratio below 100 percent indicates that the price sold below the asking price.
**Price per square foot is a measure commonly used by real estate agents and brokers to determine how much a square foot of space a buyer will pay for a property. It is calculated as the sale price of the home divided by the number of finished square feet. C.A.R. currently tracks price-per-square foot statistics for 50 counties.
Leading the way…® in California real estate for more than 110 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (www.car.org) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with more than 190,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Los Angeles.
# # #
December 2018 County Sales and Price Activity
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)
December 2018 |
Median Sold Price of Existing Single-Family Homes |
Sales |
|||||||
State/Region/County |
Dec. 2018 |
Nov. 2018 |
|
Dec. 2017 |
|
Price MTM% Chg |
Price YTY% Chg |
Sales MTM% Chg |
Sales YTY% Chg |
Calif. Single-family home |
$557,600 |
$554,760 |
|
$549,550 |
r |
0.5% |
1.5% |
-2.4% |
-11.6% |
Calif. Condo/Townhome |
$460,660 |
$465,770 |
|
$446,840 |
|
-1.1% |
3.1% |
-10.0% |
-21.4% |
Los Angeles Metro Area |
$500,000 |
$512,000 |
|
$495,000 |
r |
-2.3% |
1.0% |
-8.3% |
-17.8% |
Central Coast |
$717,650 |
$672,500 |
|
$657,500 |
|
6.7% |
9.1% |
-15.2% |
-24.9% |
Central Valley |
$317,500 |
$320,000 |
|
$310,000 |
|
-0.8% |
2.4% |
-8.0% |
-15.7% |
Inland Empire |
$359,000 |
$363,620 |
|
$342,000 |
r |
-1.3% |
5.0% |
-10.1% |
-19.8% |
San Francisco Bay Area |
$850,000 |
$905,000 |
|
$882,000 |
r |
-6.1% |
-3.6% |
-20.2% |
-17.5% |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Francisco Bay Area |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alameda |
$850,000 |
$900,000 |
|
$862,000 |
|
-5.6% |
-1.4% |
-24.2% |
-19.9% |
Contra Costa |
$612,500 |
$641,000 |
|
$600,000 |
|
-4.4% |
2.1% |
-19.1% |
-16.7% |
Marin |
$1,270,500 |
$1,172,944 |
|
$1,268,900 |
|
8.3% |
0.1% |
-21.3% |
-12.6% |
Napa |
$725,000 |
$683,500 |
|
$688,000 |
|
6.1% |
5.4% |
-14.1% |
-21.8% |
San Francisco |
$1,500,000 |
$1,442,500 |
|
$1,475,000 |
|
4.0% |
1.7% |
-24.5% |
11.3% |
San Mateo |
$1,483,000 |
$1,500,000 |
|
$1,500,000 |
|
-1.1% |
-1.1% |
-24.0% |
-20.4% |
Santa Clara |
$1,150,000 |
$1,250,000 |
|
$1,300,000 |
|
-8.0% |
-11.5% |
-22.0% |
-20.6% |
Solano |
$425,000 |
$450,000 |
|
$416,000 |
|
-5.6% |
2.2% |
-13.0% |
-18.5% |
Sonoma |
$639,000 |
$612,500 |
|
$670,000 |
|
4.3% |
-4.6% |
-10.0% |
-16.7% |
Southern California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Los Angeles |
$588,140 |
$553,940 |
|
$577,690 |
r |
6.2% |
1.8% |
-3.0% |
-16.3% |
Orange |
$785,000 |
$795,000 |
|
$785,500 |
|
-1.3% |
-0.1% |
-15.5% |
-18.3% |
Riverside |
$398,000 |
$400,000 |
|
$385,000 |
|
-0.5% |
3.4% |
-4.9% |
-17.7% |
San Bernardino |
$295,000 |
$299,450 |
|
$278,000 |
|
-1.5% |
6.1% |
-17.4% |
-23.1% |
San Diego |
$618,500 |
$626,000 |
|
$605,000 |
|
-1.2% |
2.2% |
-7.4% |
-14.7% |
Ventura |
$640,000 |
$643,740 |
|
$645,000 |
|
-0.6% |
-0.8% |
-14.0% |
-13.8% |
Central Coast |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monterey |
$590,000 |
$630,000 |
|
$614,000 |
|
-6.3% |
-3.9% |
-26.1% |
-31.0% |
San Luis Obispo |
$640,000 |
$624,000 |
|
$590,000 |
|
2.6% |
8.5% |
-16.3% |
-23.7% |
Santa Barbara |
$806,030 |
$550,000 |
|
$730,000 |
|
46.6% |
10.4% |
-1.1% |
-14.8% |
Santa Cruz |
$926,000 |
$862,500 |
|
$831,000 |
|
7.4% |
11.4% |
-16.2% |
-31.7% |
Central Valley |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fresno |
$266,500 |
$265,750 |
|
$259,750 |
|
0.3% |
2.6% |
-4.1% |
-4.7% |
Glenn |
$246,500 |
$225,000 |
|
$230,000 |
|
9.6% |
7.2% |
77.8% |
113.3% |
Kern |
$242,380 |
$235,250 |
|
$233,000 |
|
3.0% |
4.0% |
-7.1% |
-7.8% |
Kings |
$243,000 |
$222,000 |
|
$225,000 |
|
9.5% |
8.0% |
-7.1% |
-17.0% |
Madera |
$263,000 |
$265,000 |
|
$239,000 |
r |
-0.8% |
10.0% |
-18.8% |
-34.6% |
Merced |
$269,060 |
$261,930 |
|
$239,900 |
|
2.7% |
12.2% |
22.0% |
11.9% |
Placer |
$492,993 |
$461,000 |
|
$451,500 |
|
6.9% |
9.2% |
-10.2% |
-18.5% |
Sacramento |
$364,500 |
$365,000 |
|
$350,000 |
|
-0.1% |
4.1% |
-14.8% |
-22.4% |
San Benito |
$577,000 |
$583,200 |
|
$537,000 |
|
-1.1% |
7.4% |
-15.9% |
-28.8% |
San Joaquin |
$365,000 |
$365,000 |
|
$349,720 |
|
0.0% |
4.4% |
1.1% |
-14.1% |
Stanislaus |
$309,000 |
$310,000 |
|
$300,000 |
|
-0.3% |
3.0% |
-6.2% |
-16.0% |
Tulare |
$236,450 |
$237,400 |
|
$219,500 |
|
-0.4% |
7.7% |
-11.5% |
-20.1% |
Other Calif. Counties |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amador |
NA |
NA |
|
$305,000 |
|
NA |
NA |
NA |
NA |
Butte |
$356,558 |
$326,940 |
|
$304,000 |
|
9.1% |
17.3% |
97.5% |
105.3% |
Calaveras |
$310,000 |
$325,000 |
|
$285,000 |
|
-4.6% |
8.8% |
11.7% |
-26.5% |
Del Norte |
$243,900 |
$250,000 |
|
$251,500 |
|
-2.4% |
-3.0% |
-40.0% |
-36.8% |
El Dorado |
$454,500 |
$461,750 |
|
$450,000 |
|
-1.6% |
1.0% |
-15.5% |
-33.6% |
Humboldt |
$308,000 |
$310,000 |
|
$319,500 |
|
-0.6% |
-3.6% |
-15.3% |
-28.4% |
Lake |
$269,000 |
$255,000 |
|
$269,500 |
|
5.5% |
-0.2% |
17.7% |
-6.4% |
Lassen |
$208,000 |
$184,000 |
|
$175,000 |
|
13.0% |
18.9% |
53.3% |
0.0% |
Mariposa |
$320,000 |
$355,000 |
|
$310,000 |
|
-9.9% |
3.2% |
0.0% |
40.0% |
Mendocino |
$424,900 |
$414,000 |
|
$409,500 |
|
2.6% |
3.8% |
-17.0% |
-2.2% |
Mono |
$541,000 |
$725,000 |
|
$515,000 |
|
-25.4% |
5.0% |
-55.6% |
-42.9% |
Nevada |
$389,950 |
$399,000 |
|
$393,500 |
|
-2.3% |
-0.9% |
1.1% |
-6.0% |
Plumas |
$262,950 |
$289,500 |
|
$256,000 |
|
-9.2% |
2.7% |
0.0% |
-13.3% |
Shasta |
$267,500 |
$283,000 |
|
$258,250 |
|
-5.5% |
3.6% |
-1.3% |
6.8% |
Siskiyou |
$182,500 |
$226,000 |
|
$192,500 |
|
-19.2% |
-5.2% |
-13.5% |
-33.3% |
Sutter |
$320,000 |
$296,000 |
|
$270,000 |
|
8.1% |
18.5% |
26.6% |
5.2% |
Tehama |
$255,000 |
$199,000 |
|
$190,000 |
|
28.1% |
34.2% |
184.6% |
100.0% |
Tuolumne |
$258,950 |
$288,500 |
|
$269,900 |
|
-10.2% |
-4.1% |
21.2% |
27.0% |
Yolo |
$429,000 |
$429,500 |
|
$420,000 |
|
-0.1% |
2.1% |
-1.0% |
-19.8% |
Yuba |
$298,000 |
$263,000 |
|
$241,000 |
|
13.3% |
23.7% |
2.5% |
17.4% |
r = revised
NA = not available
December 2018 County Unsold Inventory and Days on Market
(Regional and condo sales data not seasonally adjusted)
December 2018 |
Unsold Inventory Index |
Median Time on Market |
||||||||
State/Region/County |
Dec. 2018 |
Nov. 2018 |
|
Dec. 2017 |
|
Dec. 2018 |
Nov. 2018 |
|
Dec. 2017 |
|
Calif. Single-family home |
3.5 |
3.7 |
|
2.5 |
|
32.0 |
28.0 |
|
25.0 |
|
Calif. Condo/Townhome |
3.2 |
3.4 |
|
1.9 |
|
30.0 |
25.0 |
|
18.0 |
|
Los Angeles Metro Area |
4.1 |
4.2 |
|
2.8 |
|
36.0 |
32.0 |
|
28.0 |
|
Central Coast |
4.3 |
4.4 |
|
3.1 |
|
35.0 |
34.0 |
|
32.0 |
|
Central Valley |
3.1 |
3.3 |
|
2.3 |
|
27.0 |
25.0 |
|
22.0 |
|
Inland Empire |
4.7 |
4.7 |
|
3.4 |
|
41.5 |
37.0 |
|
34.0 |
r |
San Francisco Bay Area |
2.1 |
2.3 |
|
1.3 |
|
29.0 |
23.0 |
|
17.0 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
San Francisco Bay Area |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alameda |
1.7 |
1.9 |
|
1.0 |
|
24.0 |
17.0 |
|
13.0 |
|
Contra Costa |
1.9 |
2.2 |
|
1.4 |
|
23.0 |
19.0 |
|
16.0 |
|
Marin |
2.5 |
3.0 |
|
1.7 |
|
44.5 |
35.0 |
|
41.0 |
|
Napa |
4.5 |
4.6 |
|
2.9 |
|
62.0 |
49.0 |
|
57.0 |
|
San Francisco |
1.1 |
1.7 |
|
1.0 |
|
25.0 |
16.5 |
|
18.0 |
|
San Mateo |
1.6 |
1.9 |
|
0.9 |
|
20.0 |
16.0 |
|
12.0 |
|
Santa Clara |
1.8 |
2.1 |
|
0.9 |
|
22.0 |
18.0 |
|
9.0 |
|
Solano |
2.9 |
3.0 |
|
1.9 |
|
44.5 |
41.0 |
|
36.0 |
|
Sonoma |
3.2 |
3.8 |
|
1.8 |
|
54.0 |
49.0 |
|
35.0 |
|
Southern California |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Los Angeles |
3.5 |
3.9 |
|
2.4 |
|
31.0 |
27.0 |
|
24.0 |
|
Orange |
4.0 |
3.9 |
|
2.6 |
|
29.5 |
28.0 |
|
24.5 |
|
Riverside |
4.7 |
4.9 |
|
3.4 |
|
41.0 |
36.0 |
|
32.0 |
|
San Bernardino |
4.6 |
4.3 |
|
3.2 |
|
42.0 |
42.0 |
|
36.0 |
|
San Diego |
3.5 |
3.9 |
|
2.3 |
|
27.0 |
22.0 |
|
18.0 |
|
Ventura |
5.5 |
5.4 |
|
4.0 |
|
59.0 |
53.0 |
|
55.0 |
|
Central Coast |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Monterey |
5.0 |
4.3 |
|
3.3 |
|
28.0 |
25.0 |
|
36.0 |
|
San Luis Obispo |
4.9 |
4.6 |
|
3.7 |
|
37.5 |
40.0 |
|
35.5 |
|
Santa Barbara |
4.0 |
5.2 |
|
3.3 |
|
41.5 |
41.0 |
|
37.0 |
|
Santa Cruz |
2.8 |
3.2 |
|
1.7 |
|
35.0 |
30.5 |
|
21.0 |
|
Central Valley |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Fresno |
3.2 |
3.5 |
|
2.6 |
|
23.0 |
19.0 |
|
17.0 |
|
Glenn |
2.3 |
4.8 |
|
4.1 |
|
29.5 |
73.5 |
|
40.0 |
|
Kern |
2.8 |
3.1 |
|
2.9 |
|
31.0 |
26.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
Kings |
3.5 |
3.5 |
|
2.5 |
|
37.0 |
23.5 |
|
17.5 |
|
Madera |
5.7 |
5.1 |
|
3.2 |
|
40.0 |
34.0 |
|
31.0 |
|
Merced |
3.6 |
4.8 |
|
3.6 |
|
29.0 |
23.0 |
|
30.0 |
|
Placer |
2.6 |
3.0 |
|
1.9 |
|
29.0 |
27.0 |
|
26.0 |
|
Sacramento |
2.5 |
2.7 |
|
1.8 |
|
25.0 |
24.0 |
|
18.0 |
|
San Benito |
3.1 |
3.1 |
|
2.6 |
|
33.0 |
41.5 |
|
32.0 |
|
San Joaquin |
2.9 |
3.6 |
|
2.0 |
|
29.0 |
24.0 |
|
21.0 |
|
Stanislaus |
3.1 |
3.3 |
|
2.2 |
|
27.0 |
25.0 |
|
21.0 |
|
Tulare |
4.3 |
4.1 |
|
3.2 |
|
29.0 |
35.0 |
|
40.0 |
|
Other Calif. Counties |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Amador |
NA |
NA |
|
3.6 |
|
NA |
NA |
|
32.0 |
|
Butte |
1.2 |
2.9 |
|
2.3 |
|
25.0 |
24.0 |
|
22.0 |
|
Calaveras |
4.8 |
6.5 |
|
3.4 |
|
61.5 |
53.0 |
|
64.0 |
|
Del Norte |
9.8 |
5.6 |
|
6.3 |
|
104.0 |
110.0 |
|
118.0 |
|
El Dorado |
4.4 |
4.4 |
|
2.4 |
|
42.0 |
41.5 |
|
48.0 |
|
Humboldt |
6.0 |
5.8 |
|
3.9 |
|
34.0 |
24.5 |
|
35.0 |
|
Lake |
5.3 |
7.0 |
|
4.2 |
|
54.0 |
60.5 |
|
60.5 |
|
Lassen |
4.6 |
8.6 |
|
5.6 |
|
111.0 |
110.0 |
|
90.0 |
|
Mariposa |
4.1 |
4.8 |
|
5.6 |
|
59.0 |
147.0 |
|
29.5 |
|
Mendocino |
8.5 |
7.9 |
|
5.8 |
|
68.5 |
66.0 |
|
62.0 |
|
Mono |
17.5 |
8.4 |
|
8.4 |
|
82.5 |
127.0 |
|
134.0 |
|
Nevada |
4.8 |
5.7 |
|
3.3 |
|
42.5 |
41.0 |
|
31.0 |
|
Plumas |
8.5 |
9.8 |
|
5.7 |
|
189.5 |
152.0 |
|
170.0 |
|
Shasta |
4.0 |
4.4 |
|
3.9 |
|
38.0 |
26.5 |
|
45.0 |
|
Siskiyou |
7.9 |
7.1 |
|
4.2 |
|
48.0 |
60.5 |
|
46.0 |
|
Sutter |
1.9 |
2.9 |
|
2.3 |
|
39.0 |
29.5 |
|
24.0 |
|
Tehama |
2.8 |
9.2 |
|
4.6 |
|
80.5 |
49.5 |
|
52.0 |
|
Tuolumne |
3.8 |
5.8 |
|
3.9 |
|
65.0 |
58.5 |
|
38.0 |
|
Yolo |
3.1 |
3.7 |
|
1.6 |
|
34.0 |
27.0 |
|
25.0 |
|
Yuba |
2.4 |
2.9 |
|
3.1 |
|
30.0 |
30.0 |
|
27.0 |
|
r = revised
NA = not available