by Calculated Risk on 2/15/2007 05:49:00 PM

DataQuick reports: Bay Area home prices edge down, slowest sales in eleven years

Home sales in the Bay Area fell for the 24th month in a row in January as prices slipped to their lowest level in a year and a half, a real estate information service reported.

A total of 6,168 new and resale houses and condos sold in the nine- county Bay Area last month. That was down 26.3 percent from a revised 8,372 in December, and down 4.1 percent from a revised 6,434 for January last year, according to DataQuick Information Systems.

A decline from December to January is normal for the season. Sales last month were the lowest for any January since 1996 when 5,504 homes were sold. The average January since 1988 has had 6,455 sales. Last month's year-over-year decline was the most moderate since March 2005 when sales fell 2.7 percent. Year-over-year sales declines peaked last July at 32.4 percent.
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The median price paid for a Bay area home was a revised $601,000 last month, down 2.8 percent from a revised $618,000 for December, and down 1.5 percent from a revised $610,000 for January last year. Year-over-year price changes have been negative three of the last four months, ending a 57-month rise that started in December 2001. Last month's median was the lowest since $597,000 in May 2005.