Selling in Orange County: The August Report Rewards Pricing and Presentation, Especially for Condos

The August 3 Orange County Housing Report from Steven Thomas at Reports on Housing is titled The Condo Conundrum, and if you are thinking about selling, the most important number in it is reassuring: the sales to list price ratio held at 99.9 percent. Priced correctly, Orange County homes are still selling for essentially full asking.

Consider your competition. There are 5,046 homes on the market, almost the same as the 5,071 available a year ago, and 34 percent below the pre COVID norm of 6,753 from 2017 to 2019. You are not selling into a flood of inventory, which keeps well presented homes in a strong position.

The report does draw a clear line between segments, and it matters for your strategy. Detached homes are firm at an Expected Market Time of 93 days, slightly faster than last year, with inventory down 11 percent from a year ago. If you own a house, you have the stronger hand. Attached homes sit at 114 days, with inventory up 17 percent year over year, so condo and townhome sellers are facing more competition and need to be sharper.

If you are selling a condo or townhome, price to today's fair market value from day one, present the home impeccably, and be prepared to offer terms. It also pays to get ahead of the questions buyers are asking about carrying costs. The median monthly HOA on attached June sales was $507, and with lending reserve requirements rising in January 2027, buyers are paying attention. If your association has healthy reserves and reasonable dues, make that a selling point.

At the top of the market, the trend is improving. The Expected Market Time for homes priced from $2.5 million to $4 million came in at 148 days, from $4 million to $6 million at 188 days, and above $6 million it dropped from 341 to 276 days in just two weeks. Luxury moves at its own pace, but the direction is encouraging. Price with the data and the right buyer is out there.

Timing is on your side too. Demand posted its first increase since early May, with 1,494 homes going into escrow, and values are up year over year in both segments, detached by 1.9 percent and attached by 0.4 percent. There is real, workable momentum here for sellers who price and present with intention.

If you would like a clear, honest read on what your home would bring in today's market and how to position it, I would be glad to help. Reach out any time and we will map out a plan together.