Some interesting numbers on the yearly sales from Marin. As I mentioned in an earlier post, while we seem to be drawn to the splashy headlines late in every month when the monthly sales figures come out, these are only indicators, small cogs in the larger wheels that are grinding out numbers on a yearly basis. We’re always looking for patterns to indicate trends. One month is never a pattern. Especially when there are seasonal patterns to contend with. Typically, Spring is the busiest season, followed by Fall, Summer, and then Winter, so any one month spike or dip can often be attributed to a seasonal variation.

Every year I wait to see how the yearly numbers went. And here they are (a slice from 2003 to 2011)

County wide sales since 2004

Year                #Sales              Avg. Price

2011                2506                $846,083

2010                2323                $904,818

2009                2173                $848,438

2008                2081                $1,075,509

2007                2507                $1,223,678

2006                2844                $1,091,526

2005                3407                $1,078,819

2004                3764                $929,103

2003                3600                $817,961

So what do the numbers tell you?

The number of sales peaked in 2004 and went into a four-year decline. Since 2009 the number of sales has steadily increased.

The Average Price peaked in 2007, declined for two years, made an effort to climb in 2010, and then slipped again in 2011.

The steep declines in price can be attributed to the large volume of distressed property sales (short sales and foreclosed properties) which dragged the prices down. The prices continued to slide when investors and first-timers saw a bottom in sight and began to scoop up those same properties in greater numbers. And now we have a shortage of inventory. And if this year is any indication, the number of sales will continue to increase, but it’s really too early to tell.

BTW, if you ever want to know about the yearly sale in a particular town, just drop us a line.