We've already observed price dip in the previous cycle, which Irvine was not immune to. But for certain desirable areas the dip was around 1/3 (more for condos) vs 1/2 for lesser desirable areas of LA/OC. Those hoping for big drops in desirable areas will be disappointed.
I'll use Cerritos as an example:
California home prices in many cities are now poised for a second correction. The cities that will experience this change in the next few years are in mid-tier and upper-tier locations. With no summer bounce and sales falling, the economic pendulum is swinging to lower prices since incomes
www.doctorhousingbubble.com
Cerritos is considered a desirable area for many Asians. The property cited was sold for $675k near bubble peak in 2006, dropping to $450K near bubble cycle button in 2011, approx. 1/3 drop from peak. There were some potential buyers then who thought the price would continue to decline, but the reality is that prices rebounded after 2012 and that house is now valued at $1 million. If we go into another RE down cycle from 2024 I'd expect this house to dip down to $650k-$700K at bottom, good luck fighting against 30 other bidders. Yup, I was there in 2012 trying to buy a house in Cerritos and was up against 20-30 other bidders every time. Some sellers received over 30 bids and just stopped accepting new bids.
People like to blame FCB's but it's more than that. Cerritos today - and in 2012, was less attractive to FCB's than Irvine. But many owners in Cerritos are lifers who don't want to sell, enabled by prop 13 with low taxes. So adding low inventory to the relatively high desirability factor, prevents the home price from dropping as much vs other parts of LA/OC county like as Norwalk, Downey, & Santa Ana where homes dropped 1/2 from peak in previous down cycle.
Because Cerritos has so many lifers, young families can't afford to move in and the schools are running short on students. So if you live in nearby "less desirable" cities you can now send your kids to schools in Cerritos. @_@?
This is how I envision Irvine down the road.