San Mateo County Real Estate - 2011 Review
There were mixed signals in the San Mateo County real estate market in 2011, but overall, there was evidence of further recovery from the depths of 2008 and 2009.
One of the strongest signs was the number of transactions. There were 4,633 homes sold in 2011, up 5% from 2010 and 13% from 2009. It was also the most number of sales since 2006. Most impressively, sales were up at the same time that the number of for-sale homes was down. A total of 6,681 homes were listed on the market in 2011, about 500 fewer listings than 2010. While there were also holdover homes listed in 2010, the ratio of sales to new listings was 69%. That was the highest rate since 2005. The rate in 2010 was 62%. The bottom line is that sellers were more likely to be able to sell their home in 2011 than in past years.
Average selling values remained flat at around $930,000. Median selling values were down about five percent from about $725,000 to $690,000. The fact that average selling values are so far above median selling values signals that there are a fair amount of ultra-expensive homes in San Mateo County. With areas like Hillsborough, Burlingame and San Carlos, this should come as no surprise. The average price per square foot was $467 in 2011, down from $481 in 2010, a change of three percent.
The monthly price trend suggests some weakening throughout the year.
By The Numbers - San Mateo County Real Estate for 2011
| Current Month | YTD Total or Average | |||
| December 2010 | December 2011 | Jan - Dec 2010 | Jan - Dec 2011 | |
| Sales | 402 | 349 | 4,431 | 4,633 |
| Days on Market | 64 | 67 | 52 | 58 |
| Months of Supply | 3.2 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 3.6 |
| Average Price | $928,000 | $851,000 | $934,436 | $932,948 |
| Median Price | $700,000 | $600,000 | $728,417 | $692,686 |
