Home Sales Are Up, Prices Steady in April, Survey Shows

Ventura County home sales are up and prices are generally stable, according to escrow closings tracked by Dataquick Information Systems.

A total of 833 houses and condominiums were sold in the county in April, the service said, compared to 583 the previous month and 788 in April, 1992.

Existing houses sold for a median price of $211,000 in April of this year, compared to $210,000 the previous month and $212,000 a year ago.

Existing condominiums sold for a median price of $155,000 in April, up from $153,000 inMarch and $140,000 in April, 1992.

Prices were down for new homes, however.

New houses and condominiums sold for a median price of $217,000 in April, compared to $260,000 in March and $234,000 in April, 1992.

“The worst of Ventura County’s downturn is behind it,” said John Karevoll, a Dataquick researcher and the editor of the Southern California Real Estate Observer, a newsletter.

“The toughest problem facing the market in the county right now is that many of its homes are relatively new and, therefore, large. That means most first-time buyers can’t afford them. And the move-up market is still in the doldrums.”