Where in California are investors the most active homebuyers?

"My trusty spreadsheet reviewed data from Cotality - previously known as CoreLogic - tracking the share of single-family home purchases made by people not occupying the property. My focus was on the average pace of the past 18 months - last year and the first six months of 2025 - and how those investment patterns compared to the previous nine years. What stands out: Seven of California's 10 most significant increases in investor share of homebuying were nowhere near the Pacific."

"San Jose was the investor's overall favorite metro in California, according to this metric. In the last 18 months, investors averaged 47% of all single-family home purchases in San Jose. That share compared with 27% in 2015-23 - a 20-percentage-point jump. So San Jose also witnessed the second-largest increase across the 26 markets tracked. Investors' No. 2 metro was the Los Angeles/Orange County combo, where investors claimed 43% of purchases in the last 18 months vs. 29% over the previous nine years - the No. 7 statewide jump."

"The third-most popular spot for investors was El Centro, with a 40% share in the last 18 months compared to 19% over the previous nine years. That 21-point surge was the state's largest. Salinas was No. 4 at 39% of purchases last 18 months vs. 26% in 2015-23, the 11th-largest increase. And No. 5 was San Diego, another big and costly market. Its 37% investor share over the last 18 months was up from 25% during the previous nine years - the No. 15 increase."

Cotality (formerly CoreLogic) data compare investor shares of single-family home purchases over the most recent 18 months with the prior nine years. Investors captured especially large shares in several California metros, with San Jose at 47% of purchases and a 20-percentage-point rise versus 2015-23. Los Angeles/Orange County registered 43% of purchases. Several inland and relatively affordable markets showed the biggest increases, led by El Centro's rise from 19% to 40% (a 21-point gain). Salinas and San Diego also showed notable investor share gains, indicating investors seek both expensive metros and inland bargains.

Read at The Mercury News