The Bay Area homebuyer market is still tough, but in some cities, buying may be a little easier than it used to be.

The median home sales price has actually dropped year over year in some Bay Area counties. Although the Bay Area has always been a “hot” seller’s market, there are signs that factors such as high interest rates, low supply and the ability to obtain insurance are affecting sales.

According to the California Association of Realtors, median sales prices fell in July in three Bay Area counties:

• Marin County – the median sales price for a home was $1.6 million in July, a 1% decrease from the same period last year.
• Solano County – median home prices saw a sharper decline, with the median price at $586,000 – a 2.4% decline
• Sonoma County – the median sales price was $850,000, a much smaller decrease in sales price of 0.1%

Real estate website Redfin reports that the same three Bay Area counties have more so-called “stale” properties — homes that have been on the market for about a month without immediately finding a buyer.

Several factors could be contributing to these trends. Interest rates remain high — around 6.5% — which could cause more buyers to stay out of the market and wait for interest rates to fall before making a purchase. Insurance issues could also be a factor. According to the California Association of Realtors, nearly 7% of recent real estate transactions across the state have fallen out of escrow due to insurance issues.

For buyers in high wildfire risk areas like Marin and Sonoma counties, not being able to obtain homeowner’s insurance may also play a role in these market dynamics.