"Yo hablo español.”

For Realtors like Sylvia Prata, that phrase could signal the return of life to her business, even in Orange County, a region where the perception of a typical homebuyer doesn’t mesh with the demographic that makes up the bulk of Prata’s business.

But the Hispanic population, especially Spanish-speakers, in Orange County may be poised for a return the market, despite the treatment many non-English speakers received at the hands of unscrupulous lenders pushing exotic loan products during the housing market run-up, particularly to those who had trouble understanding the massive piles of loan documentation that gets heaped up homebuyers before a deal can close.

As home prices continue to fall, Prata sees more Spanish-speaking buyers returning to the market, a major boost for her, as she estimates roughly 75% of her Orange County business comes from Spanish-speaking clientele — not the typical image that’s conjured around the rest of Southern California when one thinks of an O.C. resident.

“Not everyone in Orange County is a blonde with a surfboard,” quipped Prata, an agent with Evergreen Realty in Irvine.

The Spanish-speaking buyers’ anticipated return to the market goes beyond Orange County. The state’s leading real estate group, the California Assn. of Realtors, seems to be prepping for a Spanish-speaking boost to home sales.

The group recently launched Sucasa.net, a new Spanish-language property search website in an effort to meet the needs of the growing demographic of Spanish-speaking homebuyers in California.

It shares the same multiple listing service data as its sister website, California Living Network, but Sucasa.net lets Spanish-speaking homebuyers search for homes using common sorting characteristics such as city, price range, and number of bedrooms and bathrooms. Results appear in a list or on a map, with driving directions available in Spanish. Additionally, Realtors can forward property links to their clients in Spanish.

“With Spanish ranking as the second most widely spoken language in the U.S.

See JERGLER, page C25