Homebuying in North Orange County tumbles 11.5% to start 2019

Homebuying in North Orange County — Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia and Yorba Linda — fell 11.5% in what was Orange County homebuying’s slowest start to a year since 2009.

CoreLogic stats show the lowest countywide sales count for any first three months of a year since the Great Recession. It also was the third-slowest-selling first quarter in the real estate tracker’s database that dates to 1988. At the community level, sales rose in only one-sixth of Orange County’s 83 ZIP codes. With the slump, prices fell countywide, too.

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CoreLogic found these 19 trends in 13 ZIP codes covered by the Orange County Register’s North County News weekly, …

1. Purchases: Home sales in the first quarter totaled 872 vs. 985 a year earlier, a decline of 11.5% in a year.

2. Who’s up: Prices increased in seven of the 13 ZIPs as sales rose in three ZIPs.

3. Countywide: $710,000 median selling price, down 2.1% in a year. Orange County sales totaled 6,211 residences, existing and new, vs. 7,804 a year earlier, a decline of 20.4% in a year. Prices rose in 36 out of 83 Orange County ZIPs and sales were up in 13 out of 83 ZIPs.

Here is how prices and sales moved in Brea, Buena Park, Fullerton, La Habra, La Palma, Placentia and Yorba Linda …

4. Brea 92821: $660,000 median, down 6.2% over 12 months. Price rank? 50th of 83 Orange County ZIPs. Sales of 73 vs. 78 a year earlier, a decline of 6.4% in a year.

5. Brea 92823: $798,000 median, up 10.9% over 12 months. Ranks 24th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 16 vs. 23 a year earlier, a decline of 30.4% in a year.

6. Buena Park 90620: $567,500 median, down 2.8% over 12 months. Ranks 67th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 69 vs. 84 a year earlier, a decline of 17.9% in a year.

7. Buena Park 90621: $535,000 median, down 0.4% over 12 months. Ranks 75th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 59 vs. 58 a year earlier, up 1.7% in a year.

8. Fullerton 92831: $587,500 median, up 3.3% over 12 months. Ranks 63rd priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 53 vs. 66 a year earlier, a decline of 19.7% in a year.

9. Fullerton 92832: $560,000 median, up 15.5% over 12 months. Ranks 70th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 30 vs. 23 a year earlier, up 30.4% in a year.

10. Fullerton 92833: $599,500 median, down 6.5% over 12 months. Ranks 60th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 91 vs. 109 a year earlier, a decline of 16.5% in a year.

11. Fullerton 92835: $760,000 median, up 5.7% over 12 months. Ranks 31st priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 67 vs. 78 a year earlier, a decline of 14.1% in a year.

12. La Habra 90631: $540,000 median, up 0.9% over 12 months. Ranks 74th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 116 vs. 129 a year earlier, a decline of 10.1% in a year.

13. La Palma 90623: $652,500 median, up 4.4% over 12 months. Ranks 53rd priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 12 vs. 26 a year earlier, a decline of 53.8% in a year.

14. Placentia 92870: $675,500 median, up 3.8% over 12 months. Ranks 46th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 82 vs. 103 a year earlier, a decline of 20.4% in a year.

15. Yorba Linda 92886: $798,500 median, down 7.2% over 12 months. Ranks 23rd priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 139 vs. 153 a year earlier, a decline of 9.2% in a year.

16. Yorba Linda 92887: $740,000 median, down 17.3% over 12 months. Ranks 35th priciest of 83 ZIPs. Sales of 65 vs. 55 a year earlier, up 18.2% in a year.

Plus, three more countywide trends found in first quarter 2019 vs. 2018’s first three months …

17. Single-family-home resales: 3,784 Orange County sales vs. 4,570 a year earlier, a decline of 17.2% in the period. Median: $760,000 — a dip of 1.9% in the period.

18. Condo resales: 1,721 sales vs. 2,108 a year earlier, a decline of 18.4% in 12 months. Median: $485,000 — a dip of 3.0% in 12 months.

19. New homes: Builders sold 706 residences vs. 1,126 a year earlier, a decline of 37.3% in 12 months. Median: $1,017,500 — a rise of 15.8% in a year.