May 2019: Market Update

With April’s end, we now have 2 months of spring season data unaffected by market activity at the end of 2018, when financial markets plunged. By early May 2019, stock markets had recovered to hit new highs (though there has been some subsequent volatility), interest rates are far lower than last year’s peak, and local unicorn IPOs have begun to roll out after a media frenzy of speculation regarding their potential effects on real estate markets.

The greater Oakland-Berkeley area market remains the strongest in the Bay Area. Many local counties have seen significant softening in their supply and demand dynamics, sometimes accompanied by year-over-year declines in median home sales prices. So far, this has not happened here: Its relative affordability compared to SF, San Mateo and Santa Clara Counties is certainly a major factor. 

Click here to get a feel for recent median home price table in the Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda areas by zip code.