Sales of New Homes, Tract Recordings Up

Both home sales and recordings of subdivision deeds increased in San Diego County during the first half of 1985, according to recent reports by Safeco Title Insurance Co.

The total of 24,191 home sales in the county during the first half of 1985 was 1.9% over the 1984 first-half total of 23,735, the company said. A drop in resales, with 16,725 recorded through June, 1985, 2.7% fewer than the 17,200 recorded in the comparable portion of 1984, was offset by a 12.7% rise in new home sales, from 6,535 to 7,366 in the same months of both years.

Denis V. Rottler, Safeco vice president and San Diego Division manager, said, “An abundance of new homes located within five minutes of the coast and priced below the area median, is the major reason for the increase in new-home sales.”

Builders recorded subdivision maps containing 6,485 lots through the first six months of this year, 44.4% more than the 4,492 recorded during the first half of 1984 and 212% greater than the 3,052 recorded during that period in 1983.

In addition to the subdivision maps, condominium plans have been recorded for a total of 4,774 units, bringing to 11,259 the number of individual dwelling units to date in 1985. Subdivision maps accounted for 57% of the total while last year at this time they were only 49% of the total--4,492 lots against 4,589 condominium units.

Most of the recordings in the city of San Diego, 2,741 subdivision lots and 3,100 condominium units, were in the North City West area or along the Interstate 15 corridor, Safeco reported. Maps have been recorded for 1,251 subdivision lots and 644 condominium units in unincorporated areas.