There have been innumerable ups and downs in the history of San Bernardino County homebuying.
The Southern California News Group will now be chronicling home sales and pricing swings using data from a new provider, Irvine-based Attom. The company tracks closed transactions for existing and new housing – single-family homes, condos and their combined totals – going back to 2005.
Please note that tallying home sales contains a lot of science and a little bit of art. Not every transaction has a simple buyer and seller with traditional financing – mortgage or cash. Deciphering the arms-length nature of each sale – and the value changing hands – is not always simple. That means Attom’s stats will slightly differ from our previous data providers: DataQuick, DQNews and CoreLogic, which recently renamed itself Cotality. Those reports are no longer produced.
Let’s glimpse into local homebuying patterns and extremes through our new statistics from Attom. My trusty spreadsheet found 21 trends to know about San Bernardino County’s housing market between 2005 and February 2025.
First, consider the price swings for all home sales …
1. Record high: $540,000 median sales price in October 2024. Compared to February 2025’s $530,000, we’re $10,000 off the peak.
2. Great Recession bottom: $135,000 in May 2009, so we’re 293% above that low.
3. 20-year gain: Homes appreciated 100% since 2005.
4. Gains vs. losses: 76% of months had yearly price increases.
5. Biggest 12-month gain: 32% in year ended September 2013.
6. Biggest 12-month loss: 46% in year ended April 2009.
Next, ponder how total sales activity has gyrated over 20 years for existing and newly built properties …
7. Average sales pace: 2,589 closed transactions a month over 20 years. So February 2025’s 1,405 total was 46% below the norm.
8. Busiest month of a typical year: It’s June. Since 2005, the 2,884 average sales are 11% above the norm.
9. Slowest month in a typical year: It’s February. Since 2005, the 2,126 average sales are 26% below par.
10. Fastest-selling single month: 5,235 sales in August 2005.
11. Slowest-selling single month: 1,251 sales in January 2008.
Consider the big slice of the market, single-family houses – existing and newly built …
12. Record high median price: $530,000 in January 2025. Compared to February 2025’s $515,000, we’re $15,000 off the peak.
13. 20-year gain: Single-family homes appreciated 94% since 2005.
14. Average sales pace: 2,279 a month over 20 years. So February 2025’s 1,171 total was 49% below the norm.
15. Sales extremes of a typical year: Busiest month is June with 2,543 average sales vs. February the slowest at 1,870 sales.
San Bernardino, think about the market’s usual bargain, the condo – existing and newly built …
16. Record high median price: $611,000 in December 2024. Compared to February 2025’s $ 591,000, we’re $20,000 off the peak.
17. 20-year gain: Condos appreciated 131% since 2005.
18. Average sales pace: 310 a month over 20 years. So February 2025’s 234 total was 24% below the norm.
19. Sales extremes of a typical year: Busiest month is August with 348 Slowest is January with 243 average sales.
Finally, let’s contrast condos to single-family homes …
20. Condo share of all sales: 12% average over 20 years vs. 16% in February 2025.
21. Condo vs. single-family pricing: Median is 14% costlier on average since 2005 vs. 15% pricier in February 2025.
Jonathan Lansner is business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com
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