Market Updates
Sacramento & Yuba-Sutter Market Updates
A monthly read on what is actually happening in the two markets I work in — and what it means for your price, your timing, and your monthly payment.
Why Two Reports
Sacramento and Yuba-Sutter Do Not Move Together
I write about them separately because they behave separately. The Sacramento metro is driven by state employment, commuter demand and a housing stock that ranges from hundred-year-old neighborhoods to brand new subdivisions.
Yuba City and Marysville are their own market. Prices are lower, inventory turns over differently, and buyers there are often local or coming out of Beale Air Force Base rather than commuting into the capital.
A single regional average blends the two and tells you almost nothing useful about either one. So each update covers both, side by side.
What I Track
The Six Numbers That Actually Matter
Days on Market
How long homes are taking to sell once they are listed. It is the fastest way to feel whether a market is speeding up or slowing down.
Months of Inventory
How long the current supply would last at the current pace of sales. Under about four months generally favours sellers; over about six generally favours buyers.
List-to-Sale Ratio
What homes actually sold for compared with what they were asking. This is where the difference between a hopeful price and a real price shows up.
New Listings vs. Sales
Whether supply is building up or being absorbed. Two months of rising listings with flat sales changes the advice I give a seller.
Mortgage Rates
Rates move your monthly payment more than a small change in price does. A buyer shopping at a fixed budget watches this first.
Price Bands
The market at $400,000 and the market at $900,000 are two different markets. I look at where your range actually sits, not the county average.
Current Numbers
Where the Live Figures Live
The written update below is published monthly. The live numbers — active inventory, recent sales and pricing by area — update continuously from the MLS on the Market Snapshot page.
If you want the update as it comes out, send me a note with the areas you care about and I will add you to the list. No cost, and you can ask me to stop at any time.
Next Step
Want to Know What This Means for Your House?
A market update tells you about the market. What most people actually want to know is what their own home would sell for right now, or what their budget buys today. Ask me that instead.