| The past year, 2006, marked the lowest volume | | | | of pending sales decreased 6 percent in |
| of annual sales since 1999 with less than | | | | December compared to November. December |
| 47,000 new and existing houses and | | | | inventory is reported to be 10,317 for the |
| condominiums sold in the four county | | | | three counties, up 28 percent from last year |
| Sacramento area according to DataQuick. As | | | | but still down from the July 2006 high of |
| reported in a Sacramento Bee story, "'06 | | | | 14,547. Trendgraphix reports the average |
| housing stats tell a scary tale," the | | | | price per square foot of homes sold in the |
| inventory of available homes has dropped from | | | | three counties was $225, a 9 percent drop |
| August 2006 highs but still ended up with | | | | from last December. |
| just about 11,000 homes on the market in the | | | | |
| four county area. | | | | In Sacramento County December sales decreased |
| | | | 4 percent from November and inventory |
| The slowdown or market adjustment in the | | | | decreased by 13 percent. Pending sales |
| Sacramento real estate market during the year | | | | decreased by 4 percent from 942 pending sales |
| also brought lower prices and an end to the | | | | in November to 907 pending sales in December. |
| red hot market that we experienced during the | | | | The average price paid per square foot in |
| three previous years. Median sales prices | | | | Sacramento decreased by 1 percent during the |
| were down 7 percent in Sacramento County, | | | | month of December to $224. |
| 16.9 percent in Placer County and there was a | | | | |
| 14.1 percent decline in Yolo County. | | | | Placer County decreases in December from |
| According to the Bee article some of the | | | | November were 5 percent in sales and 14 |
| price decline can be attributed to new home | | | | percent in inventory. Pending sales also |
| builders slashing prices to clear inventory. | | | | dropped 5 percent. The average price paid |
| | | | per square foot in Placer County decreased by |
| According to Michael Lyon the president of | | | | 3 percent during the month to $223. |
| Trendgraphix, the statistics arm of Lyon Real | | | | |
| Estate, "2006 was a great year for buyers | | | | In El Dorado County sales were off 21 |
| and, at the same time, a reality-check for | | | | percent, inventory declined by 14 percent and |
| sellers. Overall, prices dropped a minimum | | | | pending sales were down 17 percent. The |
| of 10% last year and days on the market for | | | | average price per square foot remained the |
| homes that have sold now averages above 70 | | | | same during the month of December to $231. |
| days," As part of the latest Trendgraphix | | | | |
| press release he went on to say, "Sellers on | | | | Overall the Sacramento real estate market in |
| average have to discount 4% below the last | | | | 2006 will be remembered. Some will call it |
| sold to make a sale. | | | | the crash of '06 or the year the bubble burst |
| | | | and others will remember it as the year of |
| Trendgraphix reported sales volume was down 2 | | | | the slowdown or market adjustment. What you |
| percent in December for Sacramento, Placer | | | | call it and how you feel about it really |
| and El Dorado counties and 25 percent lower | | | | depends on how it impacted you. |
| than December 2005. In addition the number | | | | |