Fewer New Houses Empty by Supply, Demand in Balance (Front)

The first quarterly report on sales of new homes in the Sacramento area in 2009 - and there's a good sign in a new low of 699 sales in January, February and March.

Oversupply - houses built without buyers or almost - becomes a low last seen in mid 2004 and early 2005, the height of the frenzy of buying.

The recount was completed in March 1159 empty houses in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, Sutter, Yolo and Yuba counties, said the report released today by the Folsom-based Gregory Group.

This is much less than the 3226 same period last year - and a maximum of 4598 in the third quarter of 2006.

Is evidence that builders and their bare-bones construction and sales are finally getting the supply and demand in balance.

"That is not much inventory," said Gregory Group President Greg Paquin. "If there is any uptick in sales in the second quarter and certainly the third, will put more emphasis on what is available in the market."

That would mean competition and higher prices. However, builders are not there yet.

$ 336,683 median sales price of your - where half the homes sold for more and half for less - fell from 12 to a quarter in six years straight.

The average new house price: $ 380,786.

Excesses in the region, and abundance of soft prices for buyers the choice of bank repos were widely bargaining power in early 2009 Jay Cook buyer.

Cook, an account executive with CitiMortgage, moved from Chicago to Sacramento, and last week in a house built by Natoma based in New Jersey K. Hovnanian Homes.

"What took us off the fence is $ 10,000 (state) of the tax credit," he said. Whatever he new housing was up to $ 3333 in taxes each of the next three years. Builders expect $ 100 million in state tax credits which entered into force for escrows closed after March 1 will help sell over 10,000 homes in the state.

California Franchise Tax Board has Cook between 2624 to date, the applicants of the state for $ 25.6 million in loans after the purchase of new homes.

Paquin said in January and February sales were dismal, but many builders reported more visitors in March.

In general, Placer, Sacramento counties and accounted for 76 percent of sales in the first quarter, he said. City that sells the most? Roseville, with 22 percent of sales in the region.

They feel more affordable housing

The clash in home prices has changed dramatically in public sentiment, either find a problem that can afford a house in Sacramento.

An estimated 23 percent of area residents say it's a big problem. Just three years ago with home prices at their peak, 51 percent felt that way.

"It has always been a big problem, complaining for years and years. This is the first time it has been so low," said Amy Liu, director of the graduate program in sociology from California State University, Sacramento. "It's because prices have gone down a lot."

The results are in the eighth annual State of the Sacramento Region to be released today.

In the past, the survey has shown how one third of residents in the Sacramento-area considered to be seeking less expensive housing. However, median prices down more than 50 percent from 2005 highs in the Sacramento and Yolo counties and 40 percent in El Dorado and Placer counties, nearly six in 10 believe it would be buying this year a good investment.

Only 30 percent believe the purchase of stocks in 2009 would be a good investment.

As always, it depends on the affordability of the defendant watchtower. Seventy percent of area residents who earn less than $ 30,000 a year say affordable housing remains a problem for them.

"A large segment of the population in our region can not afford a house, even with these reduced prices," said Liu.

The telephone survey of 1353 adults from February 14 to March 4 at El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo counties has a margin of error of three percentage points. To view the survey, go to www.csus.edu/ssis/. Click the link to the Annual Survey of State of the Sacramento Region.

Winner to get house keys

Readers may remember Jennifer Draâ, state worker Citrus Heights won a free home in Lincoln last October.

Today, you get your keys. Arizona-based home builder Taylor Morrison has scheduled a press event 11 hours to show the $ 250,000 house, which offers many new technologies and free furniture.

Draâ beat 638,000 participants in a contest for Taylor Morrison on Innoventions promoting home at Disneyland last summer.