The CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) recently reported that 59 percent of households in California could afford to purchase an entry-level home in the state during the fourth quarter of 2008.  The affordability rate is the highest level this decade.

MAKING SENSE OF THE STORY FOR CONSUMERS

• The minimum household income needed to purchase an entry-level home at $248,030 in California in the fourth quarter of 2008 was $48,900, based on an adjustable interest rate of 6.02 percent and assuming a 10 percent down payment.  First-time buyers typically purchase a home equal to 85 percent of the area’s prevailing median price.  The monthly payment including taxes and insurance was $1,630 for the fourth quarter of 2008.
• At $48,900, the minimum qualifying income was 42 percent lower than a year earlier when households needed $83,700 to qualify for a loan on an entry-level home.  Recent decreases in home prices and mortgage rates have brought affordability into better alignment with income levels of the typical California households, where the median household income is $59,160.
• At 76 percent, the High Desert region was the most affordable area in the state.  The San Luis Obispo County region was the least affordable in the state at 44 percent, followed by the Los Angeles County region at 46 percent.

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