John SkinnerWhen looking at quarterly sales, many people make the mistake of looking at the sales price compared to previous quarters when examining the health of a market. The sample size is small enough that a few non-median sales on the high-end or low-end can artificially skew the numbers.
What we like to do is look at sales volume compared to the same quarter of the previous year along with how many single-family properties sold off-market and how many of the properties that were in the MLS sold at over the asking price. This information was collected via the MLS and title report records.
Overall, the numbers show a sizable drop in the amount of sales (30-2016 vs. 22-2017) in the 90402 zip thanks to disappearing inventory. Only two homes sold outside of the MLS compared to 11 in 2016. Of the 20 properties in the MLS, 7 sold at or over the asking price this year while 11 of the 19 listed in the MLS in 2016 sold at or over.
Quick Analysis- The most prestigious zip code in Santa Monica is still highly desired but the sellers are being a little more aggressive with listing prices and the market above $4.5M isn’t as hot as the lower price ranges. However, sales under $4M are hopping. Check out these two examples with a little inside dirt…
454 14th street– This 3+2, 1,972 sq. ft. home on a 7,518 sq. ft. lot sold was basically marketed as a tear down at an auction price of $2.949M. A few realtors and neighbors thought it would go out for around $3.250M but of the double digit offers, only about 7 were taken seriously and countered. In particular, one very interested party really wanted the home…the neighbor…who snagged it for $3.6M! The deal closed on March 3rd. Though this was a hefty price tag, it was a smart investment. Land is king on the Westside and large lots are few and far between in the 90402 zip and they typically trade at super premium pricing.
335 16th street– Another tear down opportunity, this 3+1, 1,358 sq. ft. home on a 7,512 lot was also listed at $2.995M and fed off the frenzy of the 14th street sale. Multiple bidders weren’t even allowed in the property. Listed a month later then 454 14th, this property sold to an all-cash buyer in two weeks for $3.450M. The closing date was March 20th. It will be interesting to see if the market truly holds around $3.5M for teardowns on 7,500 sq. ft. lots or if these were anomalies…if not, the Gillette Regent tear down lots which are 8,900 sq. ft. would be around a $4M value…
Here is a quick look at the Average sale amount and the average price per square foot of the properties sold.
Average sale amount/Average price per sq. ft.
2017: $4.452M — $2,168
2016: $4.533M– $1,371
Please feel free to contact us directly if you require further information or would like a market analysis of your property.
