The short answer
The Orange County and LA County housing market right now is steady, though by September homes were taking a little longer to sell than in July. In Christine’s experience, this is not a crash and not a frenzy, and that is a read on today, not a prediction. In her experience, pricing and preparation decide how a sale goes.
In Q3 2026, the average sale price for a single-family home in Orange County was $2,090,835, up 11.2% from $1,880,358 a year earlier (CRMLS, pulled October 3, 2026). In LA County, the average among CRMLS homes was $1,551,572, up 8.0%. That is the direction of the past year, not a forecast.
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 works with sellers in Anaheim, Bellflower, Cypress, Fullerton, Garden Grove, Long Beach, Lakewood, and Placentia, and the question she hears most is simple: what does this mean for my house?
The numbers cover single-family detached homes in Orange County and Los Angeles County from CRMLS, January 2025 through September 2026. What Christine sees on the ground and her views on pricing and preparation reflect her experience, are not a finding from the data, and are not a prediction. LA County homes are listed on more than one MLS, so LA County figures cover only LA County homes in CRMLS.
How would you describe the Orange County and LA County housing market right now?
Prices were higher than a year ago, fewer homes came on the market, and homes took a little longer to sell as the summer went on. None of that tells you what your house will do. It tells you the backdrop.
The news tends to report one big number for a whole region. A county headline can sound alarming or exciting depending on the week. Christine’s approach is calmer. She looks at the county numbers for context, then looks at the sales near you, because that is where your buyer is shopping.
What do the numbers say in each county?
Both counties had higher average sale prices and fewer new listings in Q3 2026 than in Q3 2025. Orange County closed fewer sales than a year earlier, while LA County was about flat.
LA County homes are listed on more than one MLS, so the LA County column covers only LA County homes in CRMLS.
Single-family detached homes in Orange County and Los Angeles County, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Q3 2026 measure | Orange County | LA County (CRMLS homes only) |
|---|---|---|
| Average sale price | $2,090,835 | $1,551,572 |
| Average sale price, Q3 2025 | $1,880,358 | $1,436,531 |
| Change from a year earlier | Up 11.2% | Up 8.0% |
| Average days active in MLS | 33 (34 a year earlier) | 35 (35 a year earlier) |
| Percent of original list price received | 97.9% (97.3% a year earlier) | 98.8% (98.2% a year earlier) |
| 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) |
How to read it:
- Average sale price blends every home that sold, from smaller starter homes to large estates. It is not what any one home is worth.
- Days active is the time a home was listed before it had an accepted offer. It does not include escrow.
- Percent of original price below 100% reflects negotiation and price cuts together. The data does not separate the two.
- New listings were down in both counties, so fewer homes came on the market than a year earlier.
How did the pace change month by month?
The pace slowed a little each month from July to September in LA County, and in September in Orange County. Sellers also received a bit less of their original list price as the quarter went on.
Single-family detached homes in Orange County and Los Angeles County, from the California Regional Multiple Listing Service (CRMLS), pulled October 3, 2026.
| Month, 2026 | Orange County days active | Orange County % of original price | LA County days active | LA County % of original price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July | 32 | 98.2% | 33 | 99.5% |
| August | 32 | 97.9% | 35 | 98.5% |
| September | 35 | 97.5% | 37 | 98.2% |
How to read it:
- Orange County homes averaged 32 days active in July and 35 in September (CRMLS).
- LA County homes went from 33 days in July to 37 in September, and the share of original price received went from 99.5% to 98.2% (CRMLS).
- For comparison, the broader CRMLS region averaged 39 days active.
In Christine’s experience, a slower late summer is common. She would not read three months as a turning point. She reads them as a reminder that buyers took a little more time to decide.
Why does a county average not describe your street?
A county average mixes very different homes in very different places. Your buyer compares your home to the homes near you, not to the county.
Orange County and LA County each hold dozens of cities and every price band. The same quarter can include a two-bedroom starter home in one city and a large view home in another. Average them together and you get a number that is useful for trend, but it may not match a single home on your block.
That is why a headline can say one thing while your street says another. A neighborhood with few homes for sale can move quickly even when the county slows. A street with several similar homes listed at once can feel slower, even when the county looks fine. In Christine’s experience, sellers who price from a county headline can miss in one direction or the other.
What should you ask for when you want the real numbers for your street?
Ask for the sales and listings close to your home, in the last few months, for homes like yours. Five questions cover most of it:
- What sold nearby recently? Homes similar to yours in size, age, and condition, close to your street.
- How long did they take? Days active for those sales, not the county average.
- How close to the first list price did they sell? This shows whether sellers started in the right place or had to cut.
- What is for sale near you right now? These are the homes your buyer will tour the same weekend.
- What changed since last month? New listings, price changes, and new sales near you.
Those five answers tell you more about pricing your home than any headline.
What does “your home has to earn the offer” mean?
It means buyers compare, and the home that looks best for its price tends to get the attention. Price and preparation are the two things a seller controls.
In Christine’s experience, homes priced from recent comparable sales and shown well are still selling at a good pace in both counties. Homes priced from wishful thinking tend to sit and end up with price cuts. CRMLS does not record why a home sat, so this is what Christine sees, not what the data proves.
Compared with the bidding-war years, buyers today seem to take more time to look, compare, and ask questions. That is Christine’s experience, not a CRMLS finding. Preparation matters more in that setting. That can mean repairs that a buyer’s inspector would flag, a clean and simple presentation, good photos, and an easy showing schedule. Pricing from comparable sales means starting where nearby sales say buyers have already paid.
How do you get the numbers for your own street?
Start the way that suits you best:
Christine will pull the numbers for your street this week.
Message her with your address, and she will send you what she finds.
FAQ
What is the Orange County and LA County housing market doing right now?
The Orange County and LA County housing market right now is steady, with a little more time to sell by September than in July. Q3 2026 average sale prices were up 11.2% in Orange County and 8.0% in LA County from a year earlier, for single-family detached homes in CRMLS (pulled October 3, 2026).
Are there more homes for sale than last year?
Fewer homes came on the market in Q3 2026 than a year earlier. New listings were down 4.7% in Orange County and down 5.2% in LA County (CRMLS).
Are homes selling more slowly?
A little. In September 2026, Orange County homes averaged 35 days active and LA County homes averaged 37, up from 32 and 33 in July (CRMLS).
How do I get the numbers for my own street?
Christine pulls recent comparable sales near your street, how long they took, and what is for sale now. You can also request the complimentary market evaluation. It is a starting point for a conversation, not a promise of a value.
Should I price my home from the county average?
No. The county average blends very different homes and cities. Pricing from recent comparable sales near you gives you a much clearer starting point.
Who can help me sell my home in Orange County and LA County?
Christine Almarines of CA Real Estate Group, licensed since 2004, helps homeowners sell across Orange County and Los Angeles County. Book a consultation or get your complimentary market evaluation.
Related reading
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.
