The median price and total sales of Marin single-family homes dipped slightly in July compared with the same month in 2010 while the median condominium price fell more sharply despite more condo transactions, according to new figures from the county assessor’s office.

Single-family home sales totaled 166 in July, down from 171 in a year earlier, and the median sale price fell from $810,000 last year to $790,000 this year.

“We’re not plummeting by any means, that’s for sure,” said Justine Fairey, a broker with Frank Howard Allen Realtors in San Rafael. “There are tons of buyers and lookers out there, more I believe than last year, and we are experiencing often multiple offers in pretty much a myriad of price ranges — the lower price ranges more so.”

The median condo price in July fell 10.7 percent year-to-year to $339,000, from $379,500 in July 2010, while total condo transactions rose 34.2 percent over the same period, from 38 to 51.

Continuing a recent trend, lower-priced properties sold more quickly in July than more expensive homes.

Among properties listed under $500,000 — including both houses and condos — 39.8 percent were placed under contract for a pending sale in July, compared with only 25.1 percent of houses listed above that price, according to data from Bay Area Real Estate Information Services Inc., a multiple listing service. Sales under $500,000 represented 28 percent of the Marin market in

July, up from 19.2 percent in the same month of 2010.

“When the market levels off and the market turns, the market that usually gets better first is the condo and townhome market and the lower-priced homes,” said Kathy Schlegel, a broker with LVP Marin in Novato.

Mortgage problems continue to hurt prices for lower-end houses and condos. In July, 55.9 percent of sales under $500,000 and 24.6 percent of all sales were foreclosures or short sales, whereby the bank accepts less than the amount owed by the homeowner.

The presence of such houses has given some homeowners pause when it comes to listing their own property, said Jill Hill, a broker with Coldwell Banker in Greenbrae.

“Sellers are reluctant to put their homes on the market because they are afraid they won’t sell or they will sell for too little,” Hill said.

The total inventory of properties for sale was down 32.6 percent year-to-year in July with 1,014 houses and condos on the market, down from 1,504 in July 2010.

“There are just not enough listings out there to satisfy the buyers,” Hill said. “What they really like is a home in good condition that is well cared for, and those are in short supply.”

It is not clear what affect the recent stock market volatility will have on potential homebuyers in Marin, but Realtors said they are more concerned with long-term trends in employment and consumer confidence.

As with stocks, short-term real estate predictions can be difficult because of the psychology involved in buying and selling a home, Fairey said.

“It is not logical, it is all about emotion,” she said. “In the real estate community we’ll see a house we think is great and then it won’t sell, and then there is a little dinky thing that happens to have a white picket fence or a little arbor in the back and the buyer comes in and says, ‘Oh my god, we could put a swing in here, honey.'”

Contact Will Jason via email at wjason@marinij.com