Orange County Q3 Multifamily Market Report: Orange County Maintains Tight Vacancy Levels
Highlights:
- The Orange County multifamily market showed signs of weakening in the third quarter for the first time since the pandemic struck. Asking rents recorded a notable pullback, while the vacancy rate held steady.
- In each of the first three quarters this year, the local vacancy rate has been 3.6 percent. Year over year, vacancy has tightened 30 basis points.
- Current asking rents are $1,958 per month, down 2 percent from the second quarter. The quarterly retreat shifted year-over-year measurements into negative territory; asking rents in Orange County have declined by 1.2 percent in the past 12 months.
- Sales velocity in Orange County is typically modest, and COVID-19 has further stalled activity in the investment market. In the few deals that have closed, prices and cap rates have remained relatively steady compared with last year’s numbers.