Silicon Valley Real Estate Market Update

As we enter 2014, we found that the inventory of available homes to purchase fell to a record low! Just 523 single family residences were on the market at the New Year. This broke last year’s record low of 585. All the while, the Silicon Valley real estate market continues in its slower pace as it usually does this time of the year. After the holiday season, buyers and sellers start getting back to other matters like resuming their search for a home or thinking of entering the market to sell. There were 55% of the closings in Santa Clara County had a sale price greater than list price — 53% in San Mateo County. This ratio indicates or more accurately infers that there were multiple offers. Historically, the Silicon Valley real estate market shifts more toward a seller’s market after Super Bowl Sunday — the last “holiday” of the season.

Prices, as measured by the median price or the middle transaction, have been choppy to flat with a few exceptions. Santa Clara County median price for a single family residence stood at $775,000 in December, a slight decrease from November. However, San Mateo County turned in an increase to $1,050,000 from $942,000 last month as a higher percentage of higher-priced homes sold. Compared to the prior year levels, the Silicon Valley real estate trends continues to be positive. For instance, Santa Clara County’s median price stood 14.6% higher than in December 2012.

As mentioned above, the percentage of homes sold where sale price was greater than list price continues to drop but is still at a very healthy 55% in Santa Clara County. Highest is the Cupertino and Sunnyvale market area with 76% and lowest is in South County (Morgan Hill to Gilroy) with 22%. For San Mateo County, the overall percentage is 53% with the highest level in the Bay Cities of Belmont, Burlingame, Milbrae, San Carlos and San Mateo with 74%. The lowest percentage of homes that sold above list price is 19% on the San Mateo Coast (Half Moon Bay, El Granada, Moss Beach, Montara).

With an average days of unsold inventory (DUI) at 25, the hottest market area in Santa Clara County is the Los Altos and Palo Alto area with just 10 followed closely by the Cupertino and Sunnyvale market area. Coolest is in the East, Central, South San Jose market area at 32. For San Mateo County with an average DUI of 18, the hottest is the Bay Cities area comprising Belmont, Burlingame, Milbrae, San Carlos and San Mateo with 12 and the coolest is on the San Mateo Coast with 37. Why do I track these? Its important to understand the market dynamics of the supply versus the demand to advise clients on the most appropriate strategy to employ whether to buy or sell.

For questions, comments on the Silicon Valley real estate market or update in your neighborhood or your target area you are considering, please contact me and I’ll personally respond. Thanks for reading!