The overall Newport Beach home market — beach communities, Corona del Mar and Newport Coast — had 595 residences listed for sale as of Jan. 5 with 81 new deals opening in the past 30 days. That means, by one theory, it would take 7.35 months to sell all inventory at current pace of new escrows in the Newport region vs. 3.65 months countywide. So, Newport homes, hypothetically, are 2.01 times harder to sell than the typical Orange County home.

This is the buzz from the biweekly housing market report from Steve Thomas of ReportsOnHousing.com

The Newport communities combined had 60 residences listed that were either foreclosures being resold or short sales, where sellers owe more than the home’s value. So distressed properties were 10% of supply of all Newport homes for sale vs. 38.7% countywide.

By neighborhoods:

NEWPORT BEACH

• 385 residences listed and 55 new ecrows within 30 days. So Thomas’s “market time” was 7.00 months vs. 8.06 months found two weeks earlier vs. 9.76 months seen a year earlier. Countywide, latest market time was 3.65 months vs. 5.10 months a year ago.
• Of the homes listed, 44 were either foreclosures or short sales. So distressed properties were 11% of supply vs. 38.7% countywide.
• Homes for sale in Newport Beach represent 4.7% of Orange County inventory — and 1.4% 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.

NEWPORT COAST

• 97 residences listed and 20 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 4.85 months vs. 6.11 months found two weeks earlier vs. 7.56 months seen a year earlier. Countywide, latest market time was 3.65 months vs. 5.10 months a year ago.
• Of the homes listed, 11 were either foreclosures or short sales. So distressed properties were 11% of supply vs. 38.7% countywide.
• Homes for sale in Newport Coast represent 1.2% of Orange County inventory — and 0.4% of all the distressed homes listed for sale in Orange County. New escrows here are 0.9% of local pending sales.

CORONA DEL MAR

• 113 residences listed and 6 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 18.83 months vs. 16.57 months found two weeks earlier vs. 12.50 months seen a year earlier. Countywide, latest market time was 3.65 months vs. 5.10 months a year ago.
• Of the homes listed, 5 were either foreclosures or short sales. So distressed properties were 4% of supply vs. 38.7% countywide.
• Homes for sale in Corona Del Mar represent 1.4% of Orange County inventory — and 0.2% of all the distressed homes listed for sale in Orange County. New escrows here are 0.3% of local pending sales.

Compare these trends to countywide patterns:

• Cities with highest level of distressed properties among their listings? Portola Hills was tops — 87.5% — followed by Rancho Santa Marg. at 66.4% of listings and Ladera Ranch at 66.1% of listings.
• Fewest? Corona Del Mar was tops — 4.4% — followed by Seal Beach at 4.7% of listings and Laguna Woods at 8.1% of listings.

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