Statistics on home sales

Who is buying and selling homes these days? A survey by the California Association of Realtors finds the majority (71.8 percent) of home buyers in the first half of 1983 were married couples, most of them young with no dependents. One-third of all buyers were acquiring their first homes. Most common reason to purchase: tax advantages. Median age: 35.2 years. Average income in 1983: $43,200. The median home price was $109,995; median size was 1,500 square feet.

Among sellers there were fewer married couples and more single-male and -female heads of households. With median income of $36,000, sellers tended to be older (median age, 45.3). More than half were selling out of necessity because of retirement, marriage, death, or relocation. Almost 1 out of 4 was retired.