For a copy of the First Quarter Wright Report click here.

You will need the free Adobe Reader to view the report. Click here if you do not have it installed on your computer.

2011 was a year of tremendous pressure on the Sacramento real estate market.  It was also a time of great opportunity for those wading into or expanding their real estate investment portfolio.  The Wright Report for Q4 includes some great analysis and a look back over the volitility that plagued the broader market.  We are also happy to welcome a new perspective to our analysis.  Ryan Lunquist, Certified Residential Appraiser, wrote the introduction to this quarters Wright Report.  We welcome his perspective and future collaboration on Wright Real Estate reporting and analysis. Wright Report Q4 2010

Greater Sacramento Area Investment Real Estate - Wright Report Q3 2010

Sacramento County - Change in Median Prices by Zip Code - Sept 2010

Market Price Decrease Analysis:  Sacramento County & West Sacramento

The median* price of home sales has dropped a total of 54.2% since the reaching its highest price point in August 2005 ($392,750).  The median price in September 2010 has reached $180,000.

The areas that have been the least affected by the downturn in the economy are older gentrified areas – 95819 – East Sacramento, 95816 – Midtown, 95818 – Land Park that represent Sacramento’s core neighborhoods that surround downtown.  These areas were all built before 1950 and seen as desirable places to live. 

The hardest hit areas showed more than a 70% drop from the high are the older areas of North Sacramento 95815 – Del Paso Heights and 95838 – Marysville Blvd. and South Sacramento 95820 – Stockton Blvd. North of Fruitridge, 95824 – Stockton Blvd. South of Fruitridge, 95822 South and East of the Executive Airport.  These areas also are older with homes dating predominantly from the 1930’s to the mid 1960’s and surround the least affected zip codes on the North and South.

(95814 – Downtown Sacramento is also typically in this group, but sale prices fluctuate dramatically and 0 sales occurred that were reported to the MLS in September 2010.)

Square footage also varies for these distinct home types.  In the gentrified core where value has been retained the average square footage is between 1,400 and 1,800 square feet per dwelling.  In the zip codes of North and South Sacramento the average square footage is between 800 and 1,250.

The areas West of Downtown (West Sacramento) have dropped 45% (95691 – newer West Sacramento) and 62% (95605 – older West Sacramento), and the areas East of C.S.U. Sacramento and East Sacramento (the Arden area) have dropped 36% (95864) and 52% - 53% (95821 & 95825).

OTHER AREAS:

Other areas that have performed better than the market are:

Carmichael (95608), Fair Oaks (95628) & Orangevale (95662) which have dropped between 42% and 46% about 15% less than the market as a whole.

Areas that have lost more than the market as a whole are:

Other areas in South Sacramento have also lost between 60% and 70% of their equity, including: 95823, 95832, 95828, 95817.

Foothill Farms (95842) and North Highlands (95660) have also lost between 58% and 62% in value.

These areas fell right in line with the market median price drops:

Citrus Heights (95610 & 95621) have dropped 52%, Rosemont (95826 & 95827) fell 56% and 53%, and Rancho Cordova (95670) has lost 54% since the high.

ADDITIONAL NOTES:

Areas like 95742 – Rancho Cordova and 95757 – Elk Grove are new subdivisions with little to no resale statistics from 2005 with which to compare them.

* Median Price is the middle number where the number of houses that sold for more is the same as those that sold below that price.  It is generally more stable and not subject to dramatic shifts like average price when a few homes sell very high prices.