SAN FRANCISCO CONDOMINIUM PRICES DECLINED 3 PERCENT IN SEPTEMBER FROM PREVIOUS MONTH, UP 15 PERCENT FROM LAST YEAR
Resale Inventory Surpasses Two Months of Supply for First Time in Two Years
According to The Mark Company Trend Sheet
San Francisco – October 14, 2015 – San Francisco condominium prices declined 3 percent from the previous month according to the Condominium Pricing Index released today by The Mark Company, a leading urban residential marketing and sales firm.
The San Francisco Condominium Pricing Index fell to $1,294 per-square-foot in September, retreating from the $1,340 per square foot record set the previous month, but remains 15 percent higher than September 2014. Monthly appreciation during this time of year is typically low or even negative.
There are approximately 656 new condominiums for sale in San Francisco, marking the lowest inventory level since March of this year. The scarcity of inventory will be eased slightly when sales commence at several developments during the fourth quarter of this year, including 41 units at 450 Hayes in Hayes Valley and 34 units at LuXe in Pacific Heights.
Prices for resale condominiums also decreased slightly to an average of $953 per-square-foot, falling 2 percent compared to August. Despite the recent decrease, prices are still 8 percent higher than one year ago. The number of resales is trending downward, falling 19% since last month, and 25% year-over-year.
“There are currently 395 active resale condominium listings in San Francisco, representing 2.4 months of supply. This is the first time in over two years that active inventory has increased to more than two months of supply, however inventory is still extremely low,” said Erin Kennelly, senior director of research, The Mark Company. Six months of inventory is considered to be the equilibrium between a buyers and seller’s market.
New construction absorption (the number of new condominiums placed into contract), fell approximately 25 percent in September, following a decline of 39 percent in August. “Slowdown is typical in the late summer, however absorption is still 36 percent higher than the same month one year ago,” noted Kennelly.
The Condominium Pricing Index, part of the firm’s monthly Trend Sheet (available at http://www.themarkcompany.com), is based on recent sales data, and uses a proprietary quantitative method to measure trends in market demand. It tracks the value of a new construction condominium without the volatility of inventory changes.