Published: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009
Biz Buzz: SLO County home sales tick up, while home prices drop, firm says
Median stood at $379,750, in September a drop of 11.7 percent from last year
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closeHome sales in San Luis Obispo County were up slightly in September, but the median price of homes dropped that month, according to DataQuick Information Systems, a Southern California-based real estate tracking firm.
Sales of all homes — including new and resale single-family homes and condominiums — increased 4.3 percent in September over the same month in 2008.
A total of 245 homes sold in the county in September, compared to 235 in September 2008.
The median price — the point at which half of homes sell for more and half for less — stood at $379,750 in September, an 11.7 percent drop from $430,000 recorded in September 2008, DataQuick reported.
In September, sales of new homes fell nearly 67 percent, with 14 homes sold, down from 42 sold in September last year. It was the only category to have a drop in sales for that month.
Resale detached homes and resale condos fared better.
Sales of resale condo homes increased 30 percent from September 2008. A total of 30 condos sold in September, compared to 23 in the same month the previous year.
Sales in San Luis Obispo County of single-family homes increased 18.2 percent, with 201 selling in September, up from 170 in September 2008.
Meanwhile, the county’s affordability index for the third quarter of this year increased from the same period a year ago, according to the California Association of Realtors.
The percentage of county households that could afford to buy an entry-level home in the county stood at 47 percent in the third quarter, compared to 41 percent in the third quarter of 2008.
However, the county’s affordability index declined from the second quarter 2009 when it stood at 50 percent.
San Luis Obispo County was deemed the least affordable area in California, followed by the Bay Area at 49 percent.
— Julie Lynem
Trompeter returns to KSBY-TV news
Jeanette Trompeter is returning to television station KSBY, where she began her career in 1989. This time she will be the co-anchor of nightly news programs.
She will join longtime anchor Tony Cipolla on the nightly news broadcasts, beginning Jan. 4. KSBY is the NBC affiliate based in San Luis Obispo.
Trompeter was born in San Luis Obispo and moved to Santa Cruz when she was young. After graduating from high school, she attended Cal Poly.
Upon completing her studies there, she got her start at KSBY as a general assignment reporter and newscast producer.
From KSBY, she went on to work in Des Moines, Iowa, and most recently was at WCCO in Minneapolis.
In the last two years, she received Emmy awards as best anchor in the Twin Cities. She has received a total of six Emmys in her career and two Edward R. Murrow awards.
Trompeter’s parents live in Paso Robles, and her brother is in San Miguel. She said returning to San Luis Obispo County “is a dream come true in many ways.”
Trompeter said she is excited about working locally again, this time with a new focus.
“This will be the first time in my career that I can switch hats and be a mentor. It’s not like I know everything, but hopefully I can offer coaching to the next generation of journalists.”
— Tad Weber
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