California's Median Home Price Jumps 13.6% in June, Sales Dip 4.2%

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According to the California Association of Realtors (CAR), existing home sales decreased 4.2 percent in June in California compared with the same period a year ago, while the median price of an existing home rose 13.6 percent.

Quick Facts:

• Existing, single-family home sales decreased 4.2 percent in June to a seasonally adjusted rate of 492,800 units on an annualized basis compared with June 2009.

• The statewide median price of an existing single-family home increased 13.6 percent in June to $311,950 compared with June 2009.

• C.A.R.'s Unsold Inventory Index rose to 4.8 months in June compared with 4.2 months in June 2009.

"Buyers who scrambled to close escrow in May to take advantage of federal and state tax credits before they expired impacted the number of homes sold last month," said C.A.R. President Steve Goddard. "Although we expect sales to be lower in the second half of the year because of the absence of the government stimulus, they should remain above the long-run average and be significantly higher than the trough in 2007, when sales bottomed out.

"Although the tax credits are no longer available, it's important to keep in mind that home prices are substantially below their peaks and interest rates remain at historic lows, making this a very affordable time for many first-time buyers to purchase a home of their own," he said.

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled 492,800 in June at a seasonally adjusted annualized rate, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local Realtors associations statewide. Statewide home resale activity decreased 4.2 percent from the revised 514,230 sales pace recorded in June 2009. Sales in June 2010 decreased 11.1 percent compared with the previous month.

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