Bad times for the rich

Well, let's just say less comfortable times. The number of million-dollar homes sold in California last year plunged 42.5 percent, to 24,436, the lowest sales count since 2003. That comes out to one in 16 homes, according to the Dataquick data; the previous year it was one in nine. The reluctance or inability to sell could be due to financing hassles, along with an inclination to sit on the sidelines until the market sorts itself out. From Dataquick release:

The most expensive confirmed purchase was a 11,407 square-foot 6-bedroom, 10-bathroom Bel Air house built in 1926 which went for $38,000,000 in October. The largest home was a 4-bedroom, 8-bathroom 20,000 square-foot house in Corona Del Mar in Orange County. The sales price was unavailable, but the April purchase was financed with a $17.6 million mortgage.

Here's a rundown of the ZIP codes that sold the most $1 million-plus homes, plus the most expensive home. Fundraisers, take note:

90266 Manhattan Beach 296 $6.90 mill.
94010 Hillsborough 274 $8.26 mill.
95014 Cupertino 263 $5.65 mill.
95070 Saratoga 260 $5.20 mill.
94025 Menlo Park 258 $5.45 mill.
92130 Del Mar 247 $5.20 mill.
92037 La Jolla 246 $14.39 mill.
90049 Brentwood 219 $18.00 mill.
90272 Pacific Palisades 214 $16.00 mill.
94506 Danville 213 $3.01 mill.
92253 La Quinta 208 $5.85 mill.
94024 Los Altos 204 $4.58 mill.
90210 Beverly Hills 192 $18.00 mill.
90275 Rancho Palos Verde 181 $7.50 mill.
94941 Mill Valley 178 $5.40 mill.
93108 Santa Barbara 175 $26.61 mill.
92651 Laguna Beach 173 $7.50 mill.
94114 San Francisco 167 $5.63 mill.

Source: MDA DataQuick, www.dqnews.com