San Diego homebuying history: 21 twists you should know

There have been innumerable ups and downs in San Diego County’s history of homebuying across Southern California.

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 things you need to know about the local housing market’s gyrations since 2005 through February 2025.

First, consider the price swings for all home sales …

1. Record high: $915,000 median sales price in June 2024. Compared to February 2025’s $886,500, we’re $28,500 off the peak.

2. Great Recession bottom: $279,500 in March 2009, so we’re 217% above that low.

3. 20-year gain: Homes appreciated 84% since 2005.

4. Gains vs. losses: 73% of months had yearly price increases.

5. Biggest 12-month gain: 25% in year ended June 2013.

6. Biggest 12-month loss: Off 35% in year ended January 2009.

Next, ponder how total sales activity has gyrated over 20 years for existing and newly built properties …

7. Average sales pace: 3,208 closed transactions a month over 20 years. So February 2025’s 1,894 total was 41% below the norm.

8. Busiest month of a typical year: It’s June. Since 2005, the 3,722 average sales are 16% above the norm.

9. Slowest month in a typical year: It’s January. Since 2005, the 2,412 average sales are 35% below par.

10. Fastest-selling single month: 5,612 sales in June 2005.

11. Slowest-selling single month: 1,629 sales in December 2023.

San Diego, consider the big slice of the market, single-family houses – existing and newly built …

12. Record high median price: $1.025 million in May 2024. Compared to February 2025’s $1 million, we’re $25,000 off the peak.

13. 20-year gain: Single-family homes appreciated 83% since 2005.

14. Average sales pace: 2,146 a month over 20 years. So February 2025’s 1,231 total was 43% below the norm.

15. Sales extremes of a typical year: Busiest month is June with 2,505 average sales vs. January being the slowest at 1,611 sales.

Now think about the market’s usual bargain, the condo – existing and newly built …

16. Record high median price: $716,000 in July 2024. Compared to February 2025’s $690,000, we’re $26,000 off the peak.

17. 20-year gain: Condos appreciated 86% since 2005.

18. Average sales pace: 1,062 a month over 20 years. So February 2025’s 663 total was 38% below the norm.

19. Sales extremes of a typical year: Busiest month is June with 1,216. The slowest is January with 801 average sales.

Finally, let’s contrast condos to single-family homes.

20. Condo share of all sales: 33% average over 20 years vs. 34% in February 2025.

21. Condo vs. single-family pricing: Median is 33% cheaper on average since 2005 vs. 30% less expensive in February 2025.

Jonathan Lansner is the business columnist for the Southern California News Group. He can be reached at jlansner@scng.com