SOUTHLAND – (INT) – After a winter in the doldrums, March has brought the home real estate market back to life.

CoreLogic reports that sales across Southern California were the highest for the month of March since 2007. It represented a rise of nearly 48 percent over February.

With that increase also came a jump in sales prices, a rise of 4.3 percent from February and 7.1 percent compared to March 2016.

The average Southern California home sold for $480,000, the highest for any month since August 2007.

Locally, San Bernardino County showed a 12 percent gain in sales prices over the past 12 months. It was the fastest in the 6-county region and the first time the average San Bernardino County home sold for over $300,000. Home values are now twice what they were during the depths of the Great Recession.

When neighboring Riverside County is factored in, the average Inland Empire home sold for just under $329,000 in March.

Story Date: May 7, 2017