County’s Demand for Housing Grows 3.1%

Housing demand in Ventura County rose by 3.1% in the first nine months of this year compared to the same period last year, according to a report issued Wednesday by TRW-REDI Property Data.

TRW-REDI Property Data monitors real estate transactions from public record documents in more than 300 counties nationwide and provides information to lenders, appraisers and title companies.

According to the housing market report, sales of new homes in the county shot up by 18.2% in the first nine months of this year. However, that difference only represents about 100 more new homes sold this year than in the first nine months of 1992.

By contrast, new home sales in the Southern California region dropped by 4.1% from January to September, the report shows.

“In the last four months, I’ve sold seven new homes,” said Juno Kellar, a real estate agent with Jon Douglas Co. Realtors in Camarillo. “We seem to be having a surge right now. Why, I can’t explain, but whoever can?”

Where Ventura County saw increased home sales in the first three quarters of this year, sales for Southern California fell by 4.2% in the same period, according to the report. The report defines Southern California as including Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Ventura counties.

The report also shows that 51.5% of all Southern California homes sold between January and September cost $175,000 or less.