Los Angeles Real Estate Blog & Market Updates

According to Realtor.com's 2026 Best Time to Buy report, the best time to buy a home in Los Angeles is the week of September 27 to October 3, 2026. In the Los Angeles metro this week, buyer competition runs almost 40% below its annual peak and listing prices sit about 5.7% below their seasonal high, and buyer-friendly conditions typically carry into October.

The LA housing market in August 2026 holds a slight seller's advantage, with a Market Action Index of 35 and median list price at $1,399,000. Mortgage rates climbed to 6.71%, the highest level in over a year, yet well-priced homes across the San Fernando Valley and the Westside of Los Angeles are still drawing multiple offers while overpriced listings sit.

California's FAIR Plan is raising residential insurance rates by an average of 29.1% starting October 15, 2026, but that number is a statewide average, not what any one homeowner will pay. In San Fernando Valley communities like Tarzana, Encino, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Woodland Hills, and Calabasas, the real difference comes down to whether a home sits in the flats or climbs into the hills, with hillside and canyon-adjacent properties facing the steepest increases.

Mortgage rates for San Fernando Valley and Westside buyers have spent much of August hovering in the mid-to-upper 6% range. Freddie Mac's August 27 weekly average was 6.66%, but rates moved higher following Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's August 28 Jackson Hole remarks, a reminder of how sensitive borrowing costs remain to inflation data and expectations about future Fed policy. Rates haven't meaningfully improved, but higher rates are also helping create a less competiti

Selling a home in the San Fernando Valley or on the Westside comes down to three things: realistic pricing, a clear timeline, and focused preparation before you list. The data can tell you what similar homes have sold for, but the buyer determines your final sale price, not your agent and not the comps. Sellers who treat their list price as an invitation rather than a guarantee, and who prepare their home properly before it hits the market, are the ones who sell for the most

A 353-unit apartment community called Modera Santa Monica is planned for 1633 26th Street, replacing an aging office building two blocks from the 26th St/Bergamot Metro Station. It's part of a broader Santa Monica development trend converting underused office space along the Santa Monica, West LA, and Brentwood border into housing near transit.

Published on July 9, 2026 by Leegie Parker Leegie Parker | Real Estate Advisor | DRE 01020534 | Compass | Leegie.com June Market Stats At a Glance The Los Angeles real estate market in June 2026 is steady, with a slight seller's advantage. The median list price for single family homes in the City of Los Angeles eased to $1,469,500, active inventory grew to 1,948 homes, and mortgage rates ended the month at a seven-week low of 6.43%. Well-priced homes are still moving fast: th

Santa Monica Airport closes permanently on December 31, 2028, and the 192-acre site will be redeveloped into the Santa Monica Great Park. The closure will reduce noise and air traffic across Sunset Park, Ocean Park, Mar Vista, and Venice, and the new public green space is likely to lift long-term property values in the surrounding Westside neighborhoods.