The overall Lake Forest home market — older parts of the city, Foothill Ranch and Portola Hills — had 306 residences listed for sale as of Aug 18 with 108 new deals opening in the past 30 days.

That means, by one theory, it would take 2.83 months to sell all inventory at current pace of new escrows in the Newport region vs. 3.46 months countywide.

That’s the buzz from the biweekly housing market report from Orange County broker Steve Thomas.

The Lake Forest communities combined had 153 residences listedthat were either foreclosures being resold or short sales, where sellers owe more than the home’s value. So distressed properties were 50% of supply of homes for sale vs. 32.9% countywide.

By neighborhoods:

LAKE FOREST

• 213 residences listed in brokers’ MLS system with 79 new deals opening in the past 30 days.
• By Thomas’s math, this community has a “market time” (months in would take to sell all inventory at current pace of new escrows) of 2.70 months vs. 2.69 months found two weeks earlier vs. 2.34 months seen a year earlier. Countywide, latest market time was 3.46 months vs. 3.88 months a year ago.
• Of the homes listed for sale in this community, 113 were either foreclosures or short sales. So distressed properties were 53.1% of supply of homes for sale vs. 32.9% countywide.
• Homes for sale in Lake Forest represent 1.9% of Orange County inventory — and 3.1% of all the distressed homes listed for sale in Orange County. New escrows here are 2.5% of all Orange County’s new pending sales.

FOOTHILL RANCH

• 71 residences listed and 22 new deals opening in the past 30 days.
• By Thomas’s math, this community has a “market time”of 3.23 months vs. 2.56 months found two weeks earlier vs. 3.63 months seen a year earlier. Countywide, latest market time was 3.46 months vs. 3.88 months a year ago.
• Of the homes listed for sale in this community, 30 were either foreclosures or short sales. So distressed properties were 42.3% of supply of homes for sale vs. 32.9% countywide.
• Homes for sale in Foothill Ranch represent 0.6% of Orange County inventory — and 0.8% of all the distressed homes listed for sale in Orange County. New escrows here are 0.7% of all pending sales.

PORTOLA HILLS

• 22 residences listed and 7 new deals opening in the past 30 days.
• By Thomas’s math, this community has a “market time”of 3.14 months vs. 1.92 months found two weeks earlier vs. 3.71 months seen a year earlier. Countywide, latest market time was 3.46 months vs. 3.88 months a year ago.
• Of the homes listed for sale in this community, 10 were either foreclosures or short sales. So distressed properties were 45.5% of supply of homes for sale vs. 32.9% countywide.
• Homes for sale in Portola Hills represent 0.2% of Orange County inventory — and 0.3% of all the distressed homes listed for sale in Orange County. New escrows here are 0.2% of all pending sales.

Compare these trends to countywide patterns:

Cities with highest level of distressed properties among their listings? Anaheim was tops — 60.3% — followed by Buena Park at 60.1% of listings and Rancho Santa Marg. at 58.3% of listings.

Fewest? Corona Del Mar was tops — 4.1% — followed by Seal Beach at 4.8% of listings and Villa Park at 6.1% of listings.

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