by Calculated Risk on 11/15/2011 06:44:00 PM

From DataQuick: Southland Home Sales Inch Up from 2010; Median Price Down Again

Southland home sales rose slightly in October compared with a year earlier but were still nearly 30 percent below the long-term average. ...
A total of 16,829 new and resale houses and condos sold in Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, Ventura, San Bernardino and Orange counties in October. That was down 7.3 percent from 18,149 in September and up 0.5 percent from 16,744 in October 2010, according to San Diego-based DataQuick.

A drop in sales between September and October is not unusual, but last month’s decline was larger than the average change – a decline of 0.7 percent – between those months since 1988, when DataQuick's statistics begin.
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While October sales of existing (not new) houses and condos rose 2.2 percent and 1.3 percent, respectively, from a year earlier, sales of newly built homes dropped 18.4 percent to the lowest level on record for an October.
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“The lower conforming loan limits implemented last month help explain the relatively sharp drop in mid- to high-end sales during October. Now we’ll have to see if the private loan market can fill the void,” said John Walsh, DataQuick president.
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Distressed property sales accounted for 52.5 percent of the Southland resale market last month, up from 50.8 percent in September but down from 53.7 percent a year earlier. Nearly one out of three homes resold last month was a foreclosure, while roughly one in five was a “short sale.”

New home sales were at a record low (Note: DataQuick reports new home sales at closing - the Census Bureau reports new home sales when contracts are signed - usually about six months earlier). Also over half of existing home sales in SoCal were distressed sales in October; a very unhealthy market.

NAR is scheduled to reported October existing home sales on Monday, November 21st and so far it appears sales will be down in October (seasonally adjusted) compared to September.