CLIPBOARD : Attached-Home Market

The portion of Orange County’s new-home market composed of attached homes--townhouses, garden apartments, condominiums and the like--increased last year over 1989 while price and size remained virtually unchanged.

Attached homes accounted for 39% of the new homes sold according to a survey by the Construction Industry Research Board, up from 31% the year before. In no other Southern California county does the percentage of new-home market exceed 28% (it is just 13% statewide).

The average selling price in Orange County of $211,900 dipped less than 1% (from $212,400). The 1990 price here was in the middle of the range for Southern California counties and 5% lower than the statewide figure.

A similar situation prevails regarding size. The county’s average dipped less than 1% (from 1,390 square feet in 1989 to 1,385). However, just one county in Southern California--San Diego--had a smaller average size in 1990 than did Orange County.

Here’s how Orange County compares to the rest of Southern California:

Average % Change Average Size % Change County Price from 1989 (square feet) from 1989 Orange 211,900 * 1,385 * Los Angeles $256,400 +11 1,590 +5 Riverside 226,100 +16 1,825 +5 San Bernardino 136,300 +6 1,280 -4 San Diego 201,500 -6 1,350 -10 Ventura 206,700 -6 1,400 -7 STATEWIDE $222,800 +6 1,470 *

* Change is less than 1%.

PERCENAGE OF ALL NEW HOMES SOLD

1989 1990 Orange County 31% 39% Los Angeles County 24 28 Riverside County 8 10 San Bernardino County 5 4 San Diego County 20 21 Ventura County 21 25 STATEWIDE 15 13

Source: Construction Industry Research Board