Published · By Jeff Brick, 2026 SDMLS President
Quick answer: It depends on what you are buying. For houses, San Diego is still a seller’s market: in October 2026, 32 of the 34 house markets I track had less than four months of supply, and homes sold in about 19 days on average for 99% of the asking price. For condos and townhomes, the market has turned balanced to buyer-friendly: 14 of 26 condo markets had four or more months of supply, and three (Downtown and Little Italy, the College Area, and Coronado) were above six months, which is buyer’s-market territory.
That question, “buyer’s market or seller’s market, and where should I buy?”, is the one I hear more than any other. So I rebuilt jeffbrick.com to answer it, neighborhood by neighborhood, with real MLS numbers updated every month. Welcome to the new site.
October 2026 snapshot
San Diego houses vs. condos
Averages are weighted by number of sales across the neighborhood areas covered in my guides. Under 4 months of supply = seller's market, 4 to 6 = balanced, over 6 = buyer's market.
Is San Diego a buyer’s or seller’s market right now?
Months of supply (also called months of inventory) is the cleanest way to answer it. It is how long the homes currently for sale would last at the current pace of sales. Under four months favors sellers, four to six is balanced, and over six favors buyers.
Houses: still tight. These were the tightest house markets in October. If you are buying here, expect competition. If you are selling here, the numbers are on your side.
Seller's markets
Tightest house markets, October 2026
Months of supply for single-family homes. Lower = more competition for buyers.
Condos: buyers have room to negotiate. Condo sales fell about 27% from a year ago across the areas I track, and supply has built up. These condo markets gave buyers the most leverage:
Buyer leverage
Condo markets with the most supply, October 2026
Months of supply for condos and townhomes. College Area and Coronado had 6 condo sales each in October, so read those as directional.
Where is the best place to buy in San Diego?
“Best” depends on your budget and your life. Here is where the October numbers point for three kinds of buyers.
If you want negotiating room
- Downtown and Little Italy condos: 50 sales, a $621,250 median (down 8% from a year ago) and 6.6 months of supply.
- Mission Valley condos: a $440,000 median, down 24% from October 2025.
- Hillcrest, Mission Hills and Bankers Hill condos: a $649,000 median, down 18%, with a median of 47 days on market.
If you want a house under about $1 million
- Barrio Logan (92113): $570,000 median house price.
- Golden Hill and South Park (92102): $689,000, down 14% from a year ago.
- College Area and Talmadge (92115): $921,500.
- La Mesa $932,750, Escondido $985,000 and Mount Helix $990,000.
If you are shopping luxury
- Rancho Santa Fe: homes sold for 94% of list on average after a median 69 days, the most room I saw anywhere for house buyers.
- La Jolla: 4.6 months of supply on houses and 97% of list, a balanced market at the top end.
Not sure which neighborhood fits? The Neighborhood Finder matches your budget, home type and must-haves (walkable, near the beach, top schools, LGBTQ+ community and more) to my 50 guides in about 30 seconds.
What’s new on jeffbrick.com
The new site is built to be your one-stop shop for San Diego real estate, whether you are buying, selling or just curious what your neighbor’s house sold for.
- 50 San Diego neighborhood guides: from La Jolla to Otay Ranch, each with what sold last month (SDMLS), what is for sale right now, schools, parks, walkability, local favorites and a few recent sales.
- Monthly market data: median price, price per square foot, days on market, percent of list price and months of supply for houses and condos, refreshed every month from the MLS.
- Neighborhood Finder: tell it your budget and priorities, and it suggests where to look.
- Instant Home Value: a ballpark value from recent MLS sales in your ZIP code, followed by my free written analysis.
- Calculators: the San Diego mortgage calculator (with 2026 loan limits) and the rent vs. buy calculator.
- Ask Jeff: type any San Diego real estate question and get an answer from my guides, or send it to me for a personal reply.
- Approved Vendors: 83 trusted San Diego home pros, from inspectors to movers.
- Past Sales: our team’s track record, organized by year.
- Open Houses and a blog with weekly San Diego market updates, buyer and seller guides, and neighborhood comparisons.
- Chat with Jeff: a text or chat button on every page that reaches me directly.
Get the numbers every month, free
The San Diego Insider is my free monthly newsletter, in your inbox on the 8th. Pick your neighborhood and you get its median price, days on market and supply, plus what just sold, rates in plain English and my take for the month. One email a month, never sold or shared.
Join the Birthday Club 🎂 Share your birthday (month and day only, your age is safe with me), your anniversary and your home’s “homiversary,” and I’ll make sure each one gets celebrated with a personal note and a little surprise. It takes about a minute.
Thinking about a move? Call or text me at (858) 324-4448. Million Dollar Service at All Price Points.
FAQ
Is San Diego a buyer’s or seller’s market in November 2026?
For single-family houses, it is a seller’s market: in October 2026, 32 of the 34 house markets in my guides had under four months of supply, and houses sold in about 19 days on average at 99% of list price. For condos and townhomes, it is balanced to buyer-friendly, with 14 of 26 condo markets at four or more months of supply.
Where are San Diego home prices dropping?
The biggest year-over-year drops in October 2026 were in condos: Mission Valley (down 24%), North Park (down 23%), Ocean Beach (down 22%) and Hillcrest, Mission Hills and Bankers Hill (down 18%). Among houses, Allied Gardens and Del Cerro (down 17%), Scripps Ranch (down 17%) and Golden Hill and South Park (down 14%) saw lower medians. Monthly medians move with the mix of homes that sell, so look at several months before drawing conclusions.
Where is the best place to buy a home in San Diego right now?
Buyers looking for negotiating room will find the most of it in condos in Downtown, Little Italy and Mission Valley. Buyers looking for a house under about $1 million should look at Barrio Logan, Golden Hill, South Park, the College Area, La Mesa, Escondido and Mount Helix. Use the Neighborhood Finder on jeffbrick.com to match neighborhoods to your budget and priorities.
Where does the market data on jeffbrick.com come from?
Closed sales come from the San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) and are compiled by Jeff Brick each month. Homes currently for sale come from HouseCanary market data. Each guide shows the month the numbers cover.
Is The San Diego Insider newsletter free?
Yes. It is free, arrives once a month on the 8th, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Data note: San Diego Multiple Listing Service (SDMLS) closed sales, October 2026 vs. October 2025, compiled by Jeff Brick, pulled November 2, 2026. Neighborhoods that share a ZIP code share its numbers. Areas with fewer than about 10 sales can swing widely from month to month.
