If you are asking how much down payment do I need to buy a house in Cerritos, the answer in Christine’s experience is often not the 20% you have been saving toward. Many first-time buyers she has worked with did not need 20% down. A lender decides what you qualify for, and ten minutes with a lender tells you.
That matters in Cerritos because the number is big. The average sale price for a single-family detached home in Cerritos was $1,221,457 in Q3 2026 (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026). Twenty percent of that is about $244,300. Saving that much can take years.
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County. She also helps first-time buyers in Cerritos find out what they actually need before they spend another year saving toward the wrong number.
Market numbers cover single-family detached homes in Cerritos from CRMLS, January 2025 through September 2026. The advice about down payments and loans reflects Christine Almarines’s experience and is not a finding from the data. A lender decides what you qualify for.
In Christine’s experience, many first-time buyers do not. Which loan options fit you, and how much you actually need to put down, is a lender’s call.
So where does the 20% idea come from? In Christine’s understanding, 20% down mostly matters for avoiding mortgage insurance, not for qualifying for a loan at all. Mortgage insurance is a cost some buyers pay when they put down less. A lender can tell you what it would cost on a specific loan, so you can weigh it against waiting.
The 20% number gets repeated so often that many buyers treat it as a rule. In Christine’s experience, it is closer to a myth for most first-time buyers.
The amount you need depends on the home, the loan, and your lender. What we can show is what 20% looks like on the average Cerritos price, so you can see why waiting for it takes so long.
Illustration only, not a quote or a program rule.
| Cerritos number | Amount |
|---|---|
| Average sale price, Q3 2026 | $1,221,457 |
| Each 1% of that price | about $12,200 |
| 20% of that price | about $244,300 |
An average is not any one home’s price. A specific home at a different price will give you different numbers.
Look at that last row. For many buyers, saving about $244,300 is not a one-year goal. It is a many-years goal. That is why the 20% idea can quietly keep people renting in Cerritos far longer than they planned.
A lender looks at your whole picture, not just your savings. They walk you through what they see and what it means for you.
The down payment is one piece. A lender also reviews the rest of your finances and explains what options you have today. You do not need to figure that out alone or guess from what a friend did. Ten minutes with a lender tells you what you qualify for today, and that answer beats any rule of thumb.
The biggest cost Christine has seen is time. She has had buyers put off buying for years while they saved toward a number they never actually needed, and they stayed in a rental that whole time.
Those are years of rent paid and years not spent building equity in a home of their own. That is Christine’s experience with real buyers, and it is a warning worth hearing.
Here is the other side, because it matters. Cerritos prices were about flat over the last year. The Q3 2026 average sale price of $1,221,457 was up 0.9% from $1,211,063 in Q3 2025 (CRMLS). The January through September 2026 average was up about 2.8%, at $1,256,515 against $1,222,607. That is not a promise that prices will rise. Prices can rise, fall, or stay flat.
So the point is not “buy now before prices jump.” The point is simpler. Find out what you actually need before you spend more years saving for a number that may not apply to you. Then decide.
Cerritos has more homes to choose from than a year ago, and homes still move quickly. New listings were up 41% in Q3 2026, and the average home sold in 17 days.
Single-family detached homes in Cerritos, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Measure | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sale price | $1,221,457 | $1,211,063 | up 0.9% |
| Closed sales | 59 | 50 | up 18% |
| New listings | 76 | 54 | up 41% |
| Average days active in MLS | 17 | 25 | 8 days faster |
| Percent of original price received | 99.7% | 100.6% | Down 0.9 points |
How to read it:
Start with one short conversation, not a savings goal. Here is the order Christine suggests.
You do not have to keep guessing. Message Christine, and she will get you a real answer this week.
Do I need 20% down to buy a home in Cerritos?
In Christine’s experience, many first-time buyers do not need 20% down, which is the first thing to know when you ask how much down payment you need to buy a house in Cerritos. A lender decides what you qualify for and how much you actually need.
Why do people say you need 20% down?
In Christine’s understanding, 20% down mostly matters for avoiding mortgage insurance, not for qualifying. A lender can explain what mortgage insurance would cost on a specific loan.
What does 20% down look like on an average Cerritos home?
On the Q3 2026 average sale price of $1,221,457 (CRMLS), 20% is about $244,300. That is an illustration only, not a quote, and a specific home’s price gives different numbers.
How do I find out what I actually qualify for?
Spend ten minutes with a lender and ask what you qualify for today. Then message Christine, and she will get you a real answer this week.
Are Cerritos home prices going up?
Over the last year they were about flat. The Q3 2026 average sale price was up 0.9% from Q3 2025 (CRMLS), and no one can promise where prices go next.
Who can help me buy a home in Cerritos?
Christine Almarines with CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, helps first-time buyers in Cerritos understand their options before they shop. Start the Buyer Bootcamp course or book a consultation.
Source: All market data is from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Single-family detached, Cerritos, monthly data January 2025 through September 2026, as of October 3, 2026. Quarterly figures calculated from monthly data.
If you’re thinking about buying and want to know what makes sense for you in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
The winners of our 2026 Kids Halloween Coloring Contest are Eurielle in Kindergarten, Mariam in Grade 4, and Alana in Grade 5. Each one wins a $50 Amazon gift card, and all 14 young artists who sent in a coloring page are in our online gallery.
We picked one winner from each grade group:
Congratulations to all three. Entries closed Friday, Oct 23, and we announced the winners on Tuesday, Oct 27. We contact each winner’s parent or guardian by phone.
We received 14 coloring pages, and every one made our office smile. Picking three was not easy. We show each artist with a first name and grade only, and every family agreed to this when they registered. There were bold colors, careful shading, and a lot of imagination, and each page is a masterpiece in its own way.
Every drawing is in our Kids Halloween Coloring Contest gallery. You can filter by grade group and tap any drawing to see it bigger. The winners are shown first, then every other artist in grade order.
Thank you to every family who took the time to color and send one in. We love hosting contests and seeing the kids’ artwork. To see what we are hosting next, check our events page. You can also read more about how we give back in the community.
Eurielle (Kindergarten), Mariam (Grade 4), and Alana (Grade 5) each won in their grade group.
Each winner receives a $50 Amazon gift card.
Visit the contest gallery at https://carealestategroup.com/coloring-contest-gallery/.
If you’d like to talk about your next move in Southern California real estate, I’d be happy to help.
Rancho Southeast REALTORS is partnering with the ABC Unified School District on a donation drive called “Building Brighter Futures, Together.” They are collecting clothing, rain gear, personal care items, household supplies, and diapers to support students and families in need this school year. Christine Almarines saw the flyer and thought it was a Cerritos cause worth sharing. She will even pick up donations from your door. Here is what they are asking for and how to help.
It is a community effort from Rancho Southeast REALTORS, a local association of real estate professionals based in Cerritos, working alongside the ABC Unified School District. According to their flyer, the goal is to bring the community together to support students and families who need a little extra help this school year.
The message on the flyer is simple: every donation, big or small, can make an impact. You do not have to give a lot. A pack of socks, a bottle of dish soap, or a pair of rain boots all count.
The flyer lists four categories of donations, plus diapers.
Notice how practical the list is. These are everyday things a family goes through quickly, and they add up fast when money is tight.
There are two easy ways to get your donation where it needs to go:
Have a question for the organizers? Rancho Southeast REALTORS lists these contacts:
The last day for pickup and drop off is Friday, November 20, 2026. Plan ahead so your donation arrives before then.
A few simple habits make a donation easier for everyone who handles it.
Cerritos is a community that shows up for its neighbors, and school drives like this one are a good example of how that works. Families in the ABC Unified School District, which has its district office in Cerritos, send their kids to school every day, and a little help with clothing, rain gear, and household basics can make the school year easier. Winters bring rain to Southern California, and a dry pair of socks and an umbrella go a long way.
If you like reading about the community side of Cerritos, you may enjoy our post on why community events matter in Cerritos and our look at volunteer opportunities in Orange County.
Drives like this work best when many small gifts come together. Here are a few easy ways to spread the word:
Even a small donation from each household can fill a lot of boxes.
You do not have to do everything to make a difference. Pick one item from the list, call Christine to schedule a pickup, or bring it to Rancho Southeast REALTORS in Cerritos. That is it. If you share this post with a neighbor who might want to help, even better.
It is a donation drive from Rancho Southeast REALTORS in partnership with the ABC Unified School District to support students and families in need this school year.
The flyer asks for new or gently used clothing (including underwear and socks), umbrellas, rain boots and blankets, personal care items, household supplies, and diapers, preferably size 5 to 7.
You can drop it off at Rancho Southeast REALTORS, 10900 E. 183rd Street, Suite 120, Cerritos, CA 90703, or call Christine Almarines at (714) 476-4637 to schedule a pickup. The last day for pickup and drop off is Friday, November 20, 2026.
Rancho Southeast REALTORS, an association of real estate professionals based in Cerritos, is organizing it in partnership with the ABC Unified School District.
The flyer says “together, we can make a difference” and asks the community to help, but it does not spell out who can donate. Ask the organizers to confirm before you drop anything off.
If you’d like to talk about your next move in Southern California real estate, I’d be happy to help.
What is my home worth in Orange County and LA County? If you bought three or more years ago, your home might be worth more than the number you carry in your head, and the way to know is to look at recent comparable sales near your street. In the third quarter of 2026, single-family homes in Orange County sold for an average of $2,090,835, up 11.2% from a year earlier, and Los Angeles County homes in CRMLS averaged $1,551,572, up 8.0% (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026).
Christine pulls real comps for your street. It takes her about fifteen minutes, and you get a real number this week, at no cost and with no obligation.
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County. Below, you will see how each county moved in Q3 2026 and how to turn a county average into a number for your own home.
The market numbers in this article cover January 2025 through September 2026 from CRMLS. Comments about 2020 to 2022 reflect Christine’s own experience, not data. Los Angeles County homes are listed on more than one MLS, so the LA County figures cover only LA County homes in CRMLS and may not include every sale in the county.
Your home’s value usually tracks what similar homes near you have recently sold for. A county number blends too many cities and price bands to tell you that.
Orange County and Los Angeles County each cover many cities, from starter condos to large family homes. Christine works with homeowners in Buena Park and Cerritos, plus Anaheim, Bellflower, Cypress, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Long Beach, Lakewood, and Placentia. A home in one of those cities can sit far above or below its county average.
Both counties rose from a year earlier. The Orange County average sale price climbed 11.2% to $2,090,835, and the Los Angeles County average in CRMLS climbed 8.0% to $1,551,572.
Single-family detached homes in Orange County and Los Angeles County, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026. Los Angeles County homes are listed on more than one MLS, so the LA County column covers only LA County homes in CRMLS and may not include every sale in the county.
| Q3 2026 (Q3 2025 in parentheses) | Orange County | Los Angeles County |
|---|---|---|
| Average sale price | $2,090,835 ($1,880,358) | $1,551,572 ($1,436,531) |
| Change from a year ago | Up 11.2% | Up 8.0% |
| Q2 2026 average sale price | $2,047,909 (Q3 about 2% higher) | $1,542,145 (Q3 about level) |
| Average days active in MLS | 33 (34) | 35 (35) |
| Percent of original price received | 97.9% (97.3%) | 98.8% (98.2%) |
| New listings | 3,972 (4,170), down 4.7% | 12,638 (13,337), down 5.2% |
| Closed sales | 3,174 (3,271), down 3.0% | 8,258 (8,229), about flat |
Month by month in Q3 2026:
| Month | County | Average sale price | Closed sales | Average days active | Percent of original price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| July | Orange County | $2,130,176 | 1,130 | 32 | 98.2% |
| July | Los Angeles County | $1,608,576 | 2,974 | 33 | 99.5% |
| August | Orange County | $2,069,993 | 1,034 | 32 | 97.9% |
| August | Los Angeles County | $1,502,584 | 2,691 | 35 | 98.5% |
| September | Orange County | $2,068,157 | 1,010 | 35 | 97.5% |
| September | Los Angeles County | $1,537,033 | 2,593 | 37 | 98.2% |
How to read it:
The first nine months of 2026 point the same way as the quarter. The average Los Angeles County sale price in CRMLS rose 13%, from $1,349,577 in January through September 2025 to $1,528,775 in the same months of 2026.
Closed sales rose too. 23,660 Los Angeles County homes in CRMLS closed in those nine months, up 13%. The longer view smooths out month-to-month swings, like the July to August dip in the table above. For Orange County, use the quarterly figures.
No. An 11.2% or 8.0% rise in a county average does not mean your home gained 11.2% or 8.0%.
An average describes the mix of homes that sold, not the value of any one home. Your neighborhood, square footage, lot, condition, and updates all move your number in their own direction.
In Christine’s experience, most people have no idea what their home is actually worth right now. Many owners who bought three or more years ago still carry an old number from 2020, 2021, or 2022. In her experience, values moved a lot over those years. If you have not checked lately, you may be sitting on more than you think. Or the number may be closer to what you expect. Comparable sales settle it either way.
Christine pulls recent comparable sales near your street and turns them into one number for your home. There is no cost and no obligation.
Online estimate sites, Zillow among them, are a fair starting point. They work from broad data and may not know your updates or the condition of your home. Comps for your street fill that gap.
Any homeowner who bought three or more years ago and has not looked at recent sales is a good candidate. In Christine’s experience, that owner often has not looked at all.
In her experience, these three reasons come up most:
Send Christine your address. She will pull comps for your street and get you a real number this week, at no cost and with no obligation.
How do I find out what my Orange County or LA County home is worth?
The clearest answer to “what is my home worth in Orange County and LA County” comes from recent comparable sales near your street. Christine pulls them in about fifteen minutes through the complimentary market evaluation.
Does it cost anything to find out?
No. Christine’s market evaluation is no cost and no obligation.
Is the county average sale price what my home is worth?
No. The Q3 2026 averages, $2,090,835 in Orange County and $1,551,572 for Los Angeles County homes in CRMLS, describe the mix of homes that sold, not any one home.
Did home prices go up in Orange County and Los Angeles County in 2026?
Compared with Q3 2025, yes. In Q3 2026 the average sale price rose 11.2% in Orange County and 8.0% for Los Angeles County homes in CRMLS (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026).
Is an online estimate good enough?
It is a fair starting point. Comparable sales for your street, adjusted for size, condition, and updates, give you a number you can plan around.
Who can help me with this in Orange County and LA County?
Christine Almarines of CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, works with homeowners in Buena Park, Cerritos, and the surrounding cities. Get your complimentary market evaluation, start with the Sure Seller Course, or book a consultation.
Source: All market data is from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Single-family detached, Orange County and Los Angeles County, monthly data January 2025 through September 2026, as of October 3, 2026. Quarterly and year-to-date figures calculated from monthly data.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
Your Buena Park home value might be higher than the number you carry in your head, especially if you bought more than three years ago and have not checked since. The only way to know is to look at real comparable sales on your street, and Christine Almarines can pull those for you this week.
In Q3 2026, single-family detached homes in Buena Park sold for an average of $1,045,412, up 4.3% from $1,002,350 in Q3 2025. Homes averaged 25 days in the MLS, and sellers received 98.5% of their original price (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026).
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County. Buena Park is her home market, and this article is for the owner who has not looked at their number in a while.
The market numbers in this article come from CRMLS and cover January 2025 through September 2026 only. Comments about how values moved between 2020 and 2022 reflect Christine Almarines’s own experience, not data in this report.
It can. The longer it has been since you bought, the more likely the number in your head is out of date.
In Christine’s experience, values in this area moved a lot between 2020 and 2022. Many owners who bought before or during that stretch still think in terms of their purchase price, or whatever number came up at their last refinance. She also finds that most people have no idea what their home is actually worth right now.
If you bought three or more years ago, you may be sitting on more than you think. Or you may not. A real number settles it, and it costs you nothing to ask.
Buena Park average sale prices are up from a year ago. The Q3 2026 average ran 4.3% higher than Q3 2025, and the first nine months of 2026 ran 4.8% higher than the same months of 2025.
Single-family detached homes in Buena Park, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Measure | 2026 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 average sale price | $1,045,412 | $1,002,350 | Up 4.3% |
| Q3 closed sales | 67 | 80 | Down 16% |
| Q3 new listings | 77 | 84 | Down 8% |
| Q3 average days in MLS | 25 | 24 | 1 more day |
| Q3 percent of original price received | 98.5% | 98.1% | Slightly higher |
| January to September average sale price | $1,040,850 | $993,172 | Up 4.8% |
| January to September closed sales | 190 | 205 | 15 fewer |
How to read it:
An online estimate is a fair starting point, but it works from broad data and cannot walk through your house. Real comparable sales on your street show what buyers recently paid for homes like yours.
Online estimate sites, Zillow among them, are useful for a quick look. The gap shows up in the details.
| An online estimate | Real comparable sales on your street | |
|---|---|---|
| How recent the sales are | May blend older sales or a wider area | Recent closed sales picked close to your home |
| Size and layout | Often relies on public records for square footage and rooms | Compares homes with a similar size and floor plan |
| Updates and condition | Usually cannot see a new kitchen or an older roof | Accounts for what was updated and what was not |
| Lot and street | Often treats nearby streets alike | Weighs lot size, a busy street, or a quiet cul-de-sac |
| Who checked it | A computer model | Christine, reviewing the sales that fit your home |
A current number helps with three decisions: whether to sell, whether to talk to a lender, or simply where you stand today.
| Situation | The question it answers | What your number does |
|---|---|---|
| Selling | Does a move make sense for me now? | Shows what buyers are paying for homes like yours, so you can plan your next step with real figures |
| Refinancing | Is it worth a conversation with a lender? | Gives you a current starting point. A lender decides what you qualify for. |
| Just knowing where you stand | What is my home worth today? | Replaces an old mental number with a current one, with no plans required |
No one can tell you where prices will go. What you can do is watch a few signals from the latest CRMLS data.
Send Christine your address. She pulls real comps for your street, and you get a real number this week, at no cost and with no obligation.
If the last number you saw for your home is three or more years old, start here.
How do I find out what my Buena Park home is worth?
The most reliable way to check your Buena Park home value is to compare it with recent closed sales of similar homes on or near your street. Christine pulls those comps for you and gets you a real number this week.
Does it cost anything to find out?
No. Christine’s market evaluation has no cost and no obligation.
Is an online estimate good enough?
It is a reasonable first look. It cannot see your updates, your layout, or what is happening on your specific street, which is where real comparable sales help.
Are Buena Park home prices going up?
The Q3 2026 average sale price for Buena Park single-family homes was $1,045,412, up 4.3% from Q3 2025 (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026). That average reflects the mix of homes that sold, not the value of any one home.
Do I need to be planning to sell?
No. Plenty of owners just want to know where they stand. Your number is useful whether you plan to sell, plan to talk with a lender, or plan to stay put.
Who can help me with this in Buena Park?
Christine Almarines of CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, pulls real comps for Buena Park homeowners who want a current number. Get your complimentary market evaluation or book a consultation.
Source: All market data is from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Single-family detached, Buena Park, monthly data January 2025 through September 2026, as of October 3, 2026. Quarterly and year-to-date figures calculated from monthly data.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
If you are asking “what is my Cerritos home worth,” the only way to know is to compare your home to real recent sales on and near your street. If you bought three or more years ago, your equity might be higher than the number you carry in your head. Christine Almarines can pull real comparable sales for your street and give you a real number this week.
The city as a whole was steady. The average Cerritos single-family sale price was $1,221,457 in Q3 2026, up 0.9% from $1,211,063 in Q3 2025, and homes spent an average of 17 days active in the MLS (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026). A flat city average does not tell you where your own home landed.
Christine Almarines is a top real estate agent in Buena Park and Cerritos helping homeowners sell in Orange County and Los Angeles County. She works with Cerritos homeowners who want a clear number before they decide anything.
The market numbers in this article cover single-family detached homes in Cerritos from January 2025 through September 2026, from CRMLS. Any comments about how values moved from 2020 to 2022 reflect Christine Almarines’s own experience in the market, not data shown here.
Home equity is what your home could sell for today minus what you still owe on it. To figure out yours, you need two numbers: your current loan balance, which is on your mortgage statement, and a realistic value for your home based on recent nearby sales.
The loan balance is the easy part. The value is where most people guess. In Christine’s experience, homeowners hold onto the price they paid or a number they heard years ago, and that number rarely matches today.
Illustration only, not data. Say someone bought a home for a made-up $500,000 several years ago.
| Item | Made-up amount |
|---|---|
| What the home might sell for today | $700,000 |
| What is still owed on the loan | $350,000 |
| Equity (value minus what is owed) | $350,000 |
These are round, invented numbers to show the math. They are not Cerritos figures.
An online estimate is a fair place to start, but it cannot see your house. Your real value comes from comparable sales. Online estimate sites, Zillow among them, work from broad data, so they can miss the details that buyers actually pay for.
Real comparable sales on your street add what a computer model can’t:
Cerritos prices held about even. The Q3 2026 average sale price was up 0.9% over Q3 2025, and January through September 2026 averaged $1,256,515 across 149 sales, up about 2.8% from $1,222,607 across 140 sales in the same months of 2025.
Single-family detached homes in Cerritos, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Measure | Q3 2026 | Q3 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average sale price | $1,221,457 | $1,211,063 | Up 0.9% |
| Closed sales | 59 | 50 | Up 18% |
| New listings | 76 | 54 | Up 41% |
| Average days active in MLS | 17 | 25 | 8 days faster |
| Percent of original price received | 99.7% | 100.6% | Down 0.9 points |
And here is how the three months of Q3 2026 looked on their own.
| Month (2026) | Average sale price | Closed sales | Average days active |
|---|---|---|---|
| July | $1,269,579 | 20 | 16 |
| August | $1,240,284 | 19 | 18 |
| September | $1,155,450 | 20 | 17 |
How to read it:
The average moves because a different mix of homes sells each month. It reflects which houses closed, not a change in what your home is worth.
In July 2026 the Cerritos average was $1,269,579. By September it was $1,155,450. Cerritos had 59 sales in the quarter, so a few unusually high or low sales can move the average. A month with several larger homes pulls it up. A month with more smaller homes pulls it down. The same mix effect can help explain why Q3 came in 6.1% below Q2.
An average is not your home’s value. That is why, in a city that was flat year over year, your own comparable sales matter more than any citywide number.
Anyone who has not looked in a while should check. In Christine’s experience, three kinds of homeowners get the most out of knowing their number:
In Christine’s experience, homeowners who bought three or more years ago often have not looked at all. She has seen values in this area move a lot since 2020, 2021, and 2022, so the number in your head may be out of date.
A real review starts with your home and the sales closest to it, not a citywide average. Here is how it works with Christine:
Send your address and get a real number for your Cerritos home this week. No cost, no obligation, and no pressure to do anything with it.
How do I find out what my Cerritos home is worth?
To answer “what is my Cerritos home worth,” compare your home to recent sales of similar homes near your street. Christine Almarines pulls those comparable sales and gives you a real number this week.
Does it cost anything to find out?
No. Christine’s market evaluation costs nothing, and there is no obligation.
Did Cerritos home prices go up in 2026?
Slightly. The Q3 2026 average sale price was $1,221,457, up 0.9% from Q3 2025, and January through September 2026 was up about 2.8% from the same months of 2025 (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026).
How fast are Cerritos homes selling?
Single-family homes in Cerritos averaged 17 days active in the MLS in Q3 2026, down from 25 days a year earlier.
Is the Cerritos average price the value of my home?
No. The average reflects the mix of homes that sold in a given period. Your value depends on your home’s size, condition, updates, lot, and street.
Who can help me with this in Cerritos?
Christine Almarines of CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, works with Cerritos homeowners. Get your complimentary market evaluation, start with the Sure Seller Course, or book a consultation.
Source: All market data is from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service, Inc. InfoSparks © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Single-family detached, Cerritos, monthly data January 2025 through September 2026, as of October 3, 2026. Quarterly and year-to-date figures calculated from monthly data.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
Halloween falls on a Saturday this year, and in Southern California that usually means warm evenings, plenty of kids in costumes, and a lot of foot traffic up and down our front walkways.
A few simple home maintenance checks now can help make your porch and walkway safer for trick-or-treaters, and for you too.
Costumes can make it hard to see where to step, and kids are often looking at the candy, not the ground. Good lighting helps.
Do this early in the week, so you are not hunting for a bulb on Halloween afternoon.
Walk the path from the sidewalk to your front door slowly, the way a child in a costume would. Look for:
Repair what you can, and clearly mark or remove what you cannot fix before Halloween. If a handrail is loose or a step is damaged, it is worth getting repaired properly. Wondering about liability if someone trips? Read Halloween Hazards: Are Homeowners Liable for Injury to a Trick-or-Treater?
Branches at face height and plants growing over the walkway can scratch or trip trick-or-treaters. Trim shrubs, vines, and tree limbs so the path is open and the front door is easy to see from the street.
This one is easy to miss in Southern California. If your sprinklers or drip system run in the evening, the walkway and lawn can be wet and slippery just when kids are coming up the path. Check your timer and pause watering on Halloween night.
Doorbell traffic can stress dogs. Plan where your pets will be during peak trick-or-treat hours.
If you decorate with real pumpkins, remember that carved pumpkins can spoil quickly in warm weather. Carve them closer to Halloween and keep them out of direct sun. Looking for pumpkins? See our SoCal pumpkin patch guide.
Southern California neighborhoods see a lot of foot traffic on Halloween, with warm evenings, families out together, and kids who are watching the candy, not the ground.
A well-lit, clear walkway helps everyone get to your door safely, and it saves you a last-minute scramble on the day itself.
Call a professional if you notice significantly uneven or cracked concrete, a damaged step or handrail, or if your outdoor lighting has a wiring problem. Do not take a chance on electrical work you are not comfortable doing.
Prices vary by home and by what needs fixing, so ask for a written estimate.
A safe, well-lit walkway welcomes trick-or-treaters and helps keep everyone, including you, from tripping or slipping. Take ten minutes this week to walk the path, fix what you can, and set yourself up for an easy Halloween night.
Decorating too? Read our Halloween decoration safety checklist. Buena Park families can also get a free Halloween Night Survival Kit from CARE Group, and you can find more seasonal advice in our home maintenance tips.
Replace burnt-out bulbs, keep the walkway well lit, remove tripping hazards like cords and hoses, and keep the path clear of overgrown plants.
Look for cracked or uneven concrete and pavers, loose steps, wobbly handrails, curled doormats, and anything stretched across the walkway.
It is a good idea. Evening watering can leave walkways and lawns wet and slippery when kids are walking up to your door.
Call a pro for significantly uneven concrete, damaged steps or handrails, or any outdoor lighting wiring problem.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
Looking for family-friendly Halloween events in Orange County and around Cerritos this weekend? Here are sixteen to put on the calendar between Friday, October 23 and Sunday, October 25, 2026, from trunk-or-treats and a Halloween parade to a zoo day, a pool party, and a family movie night.
Want even more ideas? Our guides to 100+ things to do in Orange County in October and things to do in Cerritos in October cover the whole month. Prices, hours, and ticket rules can change, so check each event’s official page before you go.
Trunk-or-treat starts at 4:30 p.m., and an outdoor movie begins at 6:45 p.m. at 8200 Westminster Blvd. Listings mention food trucks, a ghost hunt, a maze, a photo booth, and games. Admission is free. The city’s own page is still showing last year’s event, so see this event listing and call Community Services at (714) 895-2860 to confirm the end time.
OC Parks opens the historic grounds from 4:30 to 8:30 p.m. for fall photo spots, a straw maze, and a scavenger hunt. Admission and parking are free, costumes are welcome, and leashed pets are allowed. The park is at 25151 Serrano Road. Details are in the OC Parks flyer.
The festival and classic car show run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Center Greens, next to Anaheim City Hall. The Halloween parade rolls through downtown at 7 p.m. The festival’s site does not list admission, so see the Anaheim Fall Festival website before you go.
From 3:30 to 6 p.m. at 7821 Walker Street, the city hosts carnival games, costume contests, treats, and giveaways at no cost. Costume contests start at 4:15 p.m., and a burger truck and a dessert truck will be on site for purchase. See the City of La Palma page.
The festival runs from 4 to 8 p.m. at 10660 Western Avenue, with games, entertainment, costume contests, and food trucks. Listings say it is free and no pre-registration is needed. The City of Stanton posted the date on its homepage, so check there for the contest schedule.
The city’s 9th annual Spooktacular runs from 3 to 6 p.m. at 1300 Irvine Avenue, with free entry, a haunted walkthrough, trunk-or-treat, a DJ, carnival games, bounce houses, pumpkin decorating, a costume contest, and food trucks. Parking is limited, so walking or biking is encouraged. See the city flyer.
From 1:30 to 5 p.m. at 34052 Del Obispo Street, the free event has a Police Services trunk-or-treat display, a haunted maze and arcade games in the gym, and food trucks. A trolley runs between RH Dana and the Community Center from 1 to 5:30 p.m. See the Dana Point Chamber listing.
Kids can hear spooky stories, make creepy crafts, try science experiments, and meet animals from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 2301 University Drive. The event and parking are free, costumes are welcome, and rain cancels it. See the Visit Newport Beach listing.
The zoo’s Halloween day runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Activities are free with zoo admission, which is $2 per person (ages 2 and under are free). Parking is $5 per car on weekends, and zoo coupons and free passes are not valid for this event. See the OC Parks event page.
The City of Irvine’s Halloween pool party runs from 1 to 4 p.m. at 4601 Walnut Avenue. Advance tickets ended October 18, so check the City of Irvine page for door pricing and rules before you go.
From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Regal Edwards Courtyard at 12731 Towne Center Drive, kids can trick-or-treat at candy stations, meet characters, get their faces painted, and make Halloween crafts, with a live DJ. It is free, and costumes are encouraged. See the Eventbrite page.
Shows are at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., adapted from Dav Pilkey’s Dog Man books. Ticket prices are not shown on the calendar, so see the CCPA events calendar or call the box office at (562) 916-8510.
Los Cerritos Center is hosting a month of festive fall activities, including its pumpkin patch, from October 1 to 31. Hours and costs are not listed, so see the mall events page or call (562) 402-7467.
The cemetery hosts a family movie night from 6 to 9 p.m. with free entrance, kids’ activities, and a costume contest. The movie has not been announced yet, so watch the Artesia Cemetery District site for updates.
On Saturday, October 24, the Main Event runs from 2 to 9 p.m. with a Halloween marketplace, street fest, VW car show, and trunk-or-treat, all free, plus a live band from 5 to 9 p.m. The haunted house and maze are $10, run from 5 to 9 p.m., and include scares. For a milder night, the museum’s Second Chicken Night on Friday, October 23, from 5 to 8 p.m. is $5 with no jump scares or scare actors. The Sunday encore, 5 to 9 p.m. at $10, brings the scares back. The museum is at 6755 Newlin Avenue. See the Whittier Museum events calendar for the latest.
From 6:30 to 9 p.m., families get trick-or-treating with goodie bags, a scavenger hunt, a DJ, kids’ activity booths, photo stations, and vampire magician shows. General admission is $30.95, members pay $20.95, and children under 3 are free. Online reservations are not available, so call (562) 590-3100, ext. 0. Costumes are encouraged, but full-face masks, toy weapons, and flashlights are not allowed. See the aquarium event page.
Good neighborhoods are more than the house. A short drive to a free festival, a zoo day, or a movie night at a local park is part of why families love living in Orange County and Los Angeles County, and part of what to look at when you are deciding where to live. If you are thinking about a move, ask yourself which of these events are close to the neighborhoods on your list.
For more ideas, browse our guide to 100+ things to do in Orange County in October, our things to do in Cerritos in October guide, last week’s family-friendly October events roundup, or our Halloween Movie Calendar for a family movie night. Our SoCal pumpkin patch guide covers patches near Cerritos and Buena Park.
The Westminster Halloween Spooktacular (Friday, October 23), Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill in Lake Forest (October 23 to 25), the La Palma Halloween Carnival, the Stanton Halloween Festival, the Newport Beach Halloween Spooktacular, the Dana Point Halloween Spooktacular, and Boo at the Bay (all Saturday, October 24) are free.
Orange County has the Westminster Halloween Spooktacular with an outdoor movie and Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill in Lake Forest. Nearby, Scarium Family Night is at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach and the Whittier Museum hosts Second Chicken Night, a milder haunted walk-through.
On Saturday, October 24, Cerritos has the free Halloween Boo-Nanza from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Dog Man The Musical at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m., and a free Dia de los Muertos Movie Night at Artesia Cemetery from 6 to 9 p.m. The Fallstivities Pumpkin Patch at Los Cerritos Center runs through October 31.
Activities are free with zoo admission, which is $2 per person, and children 2 and under are free. Parking is $5 per car on weekends, and zoo coupons and free passes are not valid for this event.
If you’d like to talk about your next move in Southern California real estate, I’d be happy to help.
You have lived in your home for years. You know which door sticks, which window leaks in a hard rain, and the summer the water heater gave out. Here is the part that surprises many sellers: much of that knowledge matters to the person buying it.
In California, sellers are generally expected to share what they know about their home’s condition, in writing, before the sale closes. That can sound like a burden. In practice, it is one of the best ways to protect yourself. Here is how it works, in plain words.
Seller disclosures are written statements about your home. They tell the buyer what you know about its condition, its history, and its surroundings. Buyers use them, along with inspections, to decide what they are comfortable paying for and what they want to ask about.
The goal is simple: no surprises for the buyer, and no surprises for you after closing.
Every home is different, but most disclosure questions cover the same ground.
It may feel safer to say less. Usually the opposite is true.
If you want to see how credits and costs change what you take home, read our post on home seller net proceeds.
You are generally asked to share what you actually know. You are not expected to be a home inspector. Some sellers order a pre-listing inspection so they know what a buyer will find, and can decide what to fix before listing. If you own a home that needs work, see selling a fixer-upper, and for getting ready, read how to prepare your home to sell for top dollar.
Disclosure rules can depend on your home, your location, and your situation, such as selling an inherited home or a property you have rented out. Start with your agent before you list. For legal questions, a real estate attorney can tell you what applies to you.
Selling is easier when everyone has the same information. Honest disclosures protect you, help buyers feel confident, and keep your sale on track. If you are thinking about selling in Orange County or LA County, we are happy to walk you through the process before you list.
They are written statements where sellers share what they know about a home’s condition, history, and surroundings with the buyer before the sale closes.
Past repairs and issues are often part of the questions sellers are asked. Your agent can help you answer them clearly and completely.
Sellers are generally asked to share what they actually know. If you are unsure about something, tell your agent so you can word your answer correctly.
Many sellers find it helpful, because it shows what a buyer is likely to see and lets you decide what to fix first. Your agent can help you decide.
Your agent can explain the process, and a real estate attorney can tell you what applies to your situation.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
Halloween is Saturday, October 31, and many of us are already pulling out the lights, inflatables, cobwebs, and pumpkins.
Decorating is fun, but it also adds extra cords, bulbs, and props around your home. A few quick maintenance checks can keep your decorations from becoming a safety problem.
Before you plug anything in, look it over.
Read the manufacturer’s instructions for each product, since limits vary.
Candles inside carved pumpkins add atmosphere, but flames and flammable decorations do not mix. Battery-powered LED candles give you the same glow without the risk.
This is also a good idea in Southern California, where warm, dry conditions are common.
Fake cobwebs, paper decorations, and fabric props can burn easily. Keep them away from candles, bulbs that get hot, heaters, fireplaces, and grills.
Do not hang decorations over or near light fixtures that run hot.
Windy days can send lightweight decorations flying. Anchor inflatables with the stakes or tie-downs that come with them. Make sure tall props cannot tip over onto the walkway.
Decorations should never block your front door, garage, or any exit. Keep cords from crossing the walkway, and leave plenty of room for trick-or-treaters. For more, see our post on keeping your home hazard free at Halloween.
Decoration season is a good reminder to test your smoke alarms and replace batteries if needed. For more on fire safety, read 7 Steps You Can Take Today to Help Prevent a House Fire and our Holiday Fire Safety Tips.
Halloween decorations often go up in a hurry. In Southern California, warm, dry conditions and windy days make a few extra checks worthwhile, especially around lights, cords, and anything that could burn.
Taking ten minutes now, before everything is plugged in and staked down, is much easier than fixing a problem on Halloween night.
If outdoor outlets do not work, trip a breaker, or you see signs of damaged wiring, call a licensed electrician. Do not try to fix electrical problems unless you are qualified.
Prices vary, so ask for a written estimate.
A few minutes of checking cords, swapping candles for LEDs, and anchoring your props can help keep your Halloween fun and safe.
Buena Park families can also get a free Halloween Night Survival Kit from CARE Group. For more seasonal advice, browse our home maintenance tips.
Inspect lights and cords for damage, use outdoor-rated products outside, avoid overloading outlets, use LED candles instead of open flames, and keep decorations away from heat.
LED candles do not use an open flame, so they remove the risk of a flame touching flammable decorations.
Use the stakes or tie-downs that come with them, and anchor tall props so they cannot tip over.
Call a licensed electrician if outdoor outlets do not work, keep tripping a breaker, or you see damaged wiring.
If you’re thinking about selling and want to know how your home should be positioned in today’s market, I’d be happy to help.
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