New House Sales Climbed Sharply in Ventura County

Sales of new single-family houses in Ventura County rebounded sharply in the first quarter, with 312 new houses being sold compared with 106 in the fourth quarter of 1989, a real estate research firm said.

But the first-quarter sales remained 54% below year-ago levels, when 676 new houses were sold in the first quarter of 1989, The Meyers Group reported.

The firm said price cutting by sellers contributed to the increase in sales from the previous quarter. The median price of a new Ventura County house in the quarter ended March 31 was $354,990, up 1.4% from $349,950 in last year’s fourth quarter. The median price means half the houses sold for more than that price, and half sold for less.