OC home builders post 16% drop in sales in 2025

Home builders in Orange County saw a nearly one-fifth reduction in new home sales last year compared to 2024.  The county’s 14 largest builders sold 1,785 new homes in 2025, representing a 16 percent drop from 2,133 the year before, the Orange County Business Journal reported, citing its own data. Higher borrowing costs and affordability constraints contributed to the cooling demand, according to the Business Journal.  The slowdown marks a sharp pullback from the pandemic-era boom, when annual sales hovered around 3,400 units between 2021 and 2023. The combination of elevated interest rates, limited supply and a softer economic outlook […]This article originally appeared on The Real Deal. Click here to read the full story.