SB 1211 contains new requirements that will apply to all local ADU ordinances — and any local ordinance that does not conform to SB 1211 changes to state ADU law will be rendered null and void as a matter of law on January 1, 2025.

Housing, or the chronic lack thereof, is arguably the most important of those issues, since it lies at the core of so many of California’s existential challenges. They include the nation’s highest levels of homelessness and poverty, a yawning gap in generational wealth, and the outflow of people and jobs to other states with more abundant and less expensive housing.

With unanimous votes in favor from their respective boards of trustees, two local firefighting agencies entered into the Local Agency Formation Commission process Thursday, Nov. 21, which will see the Diamond Springs-El Dorado Fire Protection District annexed into the El Dorado County Fire Protection District.

The move to combine the two agencies has been a pie-in-the-sky idea for years, according to many familiar with the situation.

ADUs are booming right now, transforming backyards into vibrant, affordable living spaces, and revolutionizing urban housing landscapes nationwide.

Why are so many people leaving California for Arizona? In a word, housing costs.

Okay, that’s two words. But you get the picture: It’s cheaper to own a house in the latter than it is in the former. How much cheaper depends on where in the Grand Canyon State you decide to take up residency.

According to a new migration study from StorageCafe, a nationwide storage space marketplace, nearly half of all recent arrivals to Arizona from California buy houses within the first year at their new locations, often saving $1 million in the process.

The Center for California Real Estate's flagship event of the year, the CCRE Housing Summit: Charting California’s Future, took place on Wednesday, October 30 at the Conrad Hotel in downtown Los Angeles.

This Summit brought together thought leaders from various sectors – government, business, and academia – to address the most pressing challenges facing California's housing market.

According to recent findings by the National Association of Realtors, just 24% of today’s homebuyers are entering the market for the first time — a historic low that’s raising concerns about affordability and accessibility in real estate. Compare this to the pre-2008 era, when first-time buyers made up nearly 40% of the market, and it becomes clear that the dynamics have changed in ways that the older generations may not immediately recognize.

Slower home price growth and more favorable interest rates in third-quarter 2024 buoyed California’s housing affordability from both the previous quarter and a year ago, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.) said today.

Sixteen percent of the state’s homebuyers could afford to purchase a median-priced, existing single-family home in California in third-quarter 2024, up from 14 percent in the second quarter of 2024 and 15 percent in the third quarter of 2023, according to C.A.R.’s Traditional Housing Affordability Index (HAI).

California Housing Market Overview.

We all know that California is the most expensive housing market in the country. Its reign as the most expensive housing market in the United States is a complex issue rooted in a confluence of factors that have built up over decades. While many point to the state's booming economy and desirable lifestyle, the reasons run far deeper.

In theory, lower mortgage rates should bring both more buyers and sellers into the housing market this fall.

But movements in rates — and consumers' reactions to those changes — have not always been operating as expected. Although rates are likely to come down in the fourth quarter, there is going to be some volatility week-to-week, which means the housing market could be in for a bumpy ride through the end of the year.

The numbers: