January sales ticked up in both the North County and San Diego housing markets, but the number of new listings was almost double the number of pending sales. While housing inventory here remains very low at just two months, this may be an indicator that it’s increasing. This aligns with national trends, where housing inventory is now up to five months.
This month’s North County and San Diego housing markets report wraps up 2024. To get an idea of what 2025 might look like, be sure to check out my 2025 Market Predictions post. But remember, the market is always changing and is influenced by mortgage rates, the economy, government policies, and even natural disasters like the current LA wildfires.
Home prices in the North County and San Diego housing markets are still increasing, but are now climbing at a healthier annual rate of 3-4 percent. San Diego County continues to be a seller’s market, but higher end markets and those farther from jobs are not as strong for sellers.
The year-over median price of homes increased last month in both the North County and San Diego housing markets after decreasing slightly in August. This may be due to September’s lower mortgage rates that came in anticipation of the Fed’s rate cut.
Both the North County and San Diego housing markets saw a month-over, median home price decrease in August. In North County, prices also dropped by 1.6 percent year-over, while San Diego County showed a slight increase of 1.1 percent.
The North County and San Diego housing markets saw more closed sales in July compared to June, but the month-over median price decreased and gains in the year-over median price were lower. Countywide, supply increased significantly compared to last year and is now at 2.4 months. This is still low compared to a “normal” market.
Although month-over numbers do show some signs of softening, the North County and San Diego housing markets had strong year-over price gains in June. And with today’s inflation easing CPI report and recent jobs report, mortgage rates are now below 7 percent.
Even with higher mortgage rates, North County and San Diego housing markets continued to show strong price gains in May. The median price countywide did see a slight drop month-over, but still grew by 9.1 percent year-over. The median price in North County increased $10,000 monthly, and gained 15.1 percent compared to the previous May.
North County and San Diego housing markets showed strong year-over and month-over price growth in April. As is typical in spring, the number of new listings coming on the market also increased, easing inventory shortages slightly. But the higher number of homes for sale didn’t stop them from selling even more quickly than they did in March.
The peak relocation season is upon us. In fact, according to Move.com, almost 70% of U.S. moves occur between May and September. And while the percentage of Americans who move each year has declined, the desire to relocate remains strong.