Los Angeles County South Bay Beach Cities Real Estate $$$ Transacted for August 2007

We're experiencing a mix of conflicting forces in our housing markets. Sales really looked like they were starting to peter out in the last half of August. The credit contagion that's been affecting the financial markets is one factor. It definitely looks like it's affecting many of the zip codes covered here. Now Washington is making LOTS of noise about providing "relief" to those who got in over their heads on their mortgages. (You can tell election time is around the corner.) Whether this will mean that weak buyers in the beach cities get to stay in homes they never should have been in in the first place remains to be seen.

In the meantime, I don't know how much longer the high-end markets can prop up Los Angeles County. 90275 (PV area) made a sudden leap up in $$$ volume, as if buyers were literally heading for the hills. Other high-end markets looked a tad weaker this month, but nothing making major headlines.

Redondo Beach and the beach cities combined are up slightly, both in dollar volume and sales volume, over 2006. Considering how bad 2006 was though, that's not saying much. The markets look something like the way it was in 2004 - the thing that's different is the ever bigger and more expensive high-end luxury homes that prop up the local markets.

If you look at the YOY Comparisons list below, you'll readily be able to see which zip codes are currently on a tear. Refer to our real estate tracker, or the Google map tool, if you want to see specifics on a particular zip code covered here.

YOY COMPARISONS

Compares $$$ volume to the prior year.

Realtors fat and happy...
90094        74.4% Playa Vista
90254        49.4% Hermosa Beach
90064        38.5% Rancho Park/Cheviot Hills
90277        32.9% Redondo Beach (south)
90293        30.0% Playa del Rey

Doing well...
90036        14.6% Park La Brea
90277-90278  11.4% Redondo Beach combined
90291        10.9% Venice
90503         7.9% Torrance
beach cities  5.0% 4 Beach Cities combined

DHanging in there...
90732         3.6% San Pedro/Rancho PV
90034         3.2% Palms

Losing a grip...
90278        -1.6% Redondo Beach (north)
90066        -3.7% Mar Vista
90266        -5.1% Manhattan Beach
90292        -9.5% Marina del Rey

Slip sliding away...
90275       -10.4% Palos Verdes Estates
90505       -14.0% Torrance
90008       -17.7% Baldwin Hills / Leimart Park
SW county   -18.5% Southwest L.A. County
90401-90405 -22.4% Santa Monica combined
90045       -23.0% Westchester
90304       -24.4% Lennox
90230       -25.6% Culver City
90501-90505 -25.7% Torrance Combined
90250       -26.3% Hawthorne
90035       -28.7% West Fairfax
90249       -29.4% Gardena
90501       -29.6% Torrance

Heading for the cliff...
90019       -30.7% Country Club Park/Mid City
90717       -32.3% Lomita
90018       -33.6% Jefferson Park
90007       -34.0% South Central
90044       -34.3% Athens
90232       -38.2% Culver City
90047       -38.9% South Central
90245       -39.8% El Segundo
90016       -40.2% West Adams
90504       -40.8% Torrance
90043       -41.2% Hyde Park, Windsor Hills
90745       -45.2% Carson
90260       -45.4% Lawndale
90062       -47.6% South Central
90056       -48.4% Ladera Heights

Off the cliff...
90037       -51.4% South Central
90746       -54.5% Carson
90303       -54.6% Inglewood
90744       -60.7% Wilmington
90302       -61.6% Inglewood
90301       -63.8% Inglewood
90301-90305 -64.2% Inglewood/Lennox combined
90502       -64.3% Torrance
90305       -78.4% Inglewood

RELATIVE STRENGTH (Chronic Pain)

The higher the number, the "stronger" the market has been from 2002 to present.

90094        4.5 Playa Vista
90305        3.2 Inglewood
90044        2.1 Athens
90034        1.9 Palms
90746        1.9 Carson
90292        1.6 Marina del Rey
90047        1.4 South Central
90301-90305  1.4 Inglewood/Lennox combined
90062        1.4 South Central
90502        1.3 Torrance
90304        1.3 Lennox
90018        1.3 Jefferson Park
90303        1.2 Inglewood
90007        1.2 South Central
90745        1.2 Carson
90302        1.1 Inglewood
90301        1.1 Inglewood
90016        1.1 West Adams
90037        1.1 South Central
90250        1.0 Hawthorne
90043        1.0 Hyde Park, Windsor Hills
90249        0.9 Gardena
90732        0.8 San Pedro/Rancho PV
90501        0.8 Torrance
90260        0.8 Lawndale
90230        0.7 Culver City
90503        0.7 Torrance
90008        0.7 Baldwin Hills / Leimart Park
90293        0.6 Playa del Rey
90501-90505  0.6 Torrance Combined
SW county    0.6 Southwest L.A. County
90245        0.5 El Segundo
90036        0.5 Park La Brea
90291        0.5 Venice
90232        0.5 Culver City
90045        0.5 Westchester
90278        0.5 Redondo Beach (north)
90744        0.5 Wilmington
90019        0.5 Country Club Park/Mid City
90066        0.4 Mar Vista
90056        0.4 Ladera Heights
90064        0.4 Rancho Park/Cheviot Hills
90254        0.4 Hermosa Beach
90035        0.4 West Fairfax
90717        0.4 Lomita
90277-90278  0.3 Redondo Beach combined
90504        0.3 Torrance
90401-90405  0.3 Santa Monica combined
90505        0.3 Torrance
90266        0.3 Manhattan Beach
beach cities 0.3 4 Beach Cities combined
90277        0.2 Redondo Beach (south)
90275        0.1 Palos Verdes Estates