Santa Clarita Real Estate Market Update, September 2026

Prices Leveling Off as Buyers Return

California's housing market has shifted from the rapid appreciation of recent seasons to a period of stable-to-softer prices. Statewide, existing-home sales are running roughly 6% higher than a year ago, at an annualized pace near 280,000, while the statewide median hit a record $930,260 in May 2026 before easing slightly. California's median days on market have settled at 50 days in June and 52 days in July. The direction is consistent: buyers are returning, prices are flattening, and homes that are priced and presented well are still moving.

In Southern California, the median home price is near $900,000, up roughly 2.3% from a year ago, with sales activity firmly above last year's pace. In Los Angeles County, the typical home value sits near $888,000, with C.A.R.'s July median at $888,120, down modestly from a year earlier as inventory has grown. The headline is not a crash and not a boom. It is a market finding its balance.

What This Means for Santa Clarita

The most recent published figures put Santa Clarita's median sale price near $807,000 to $815,000, about 2% below a year earlier, with the typical home spending roughly 44 days on market and averaging around two offers per sale. That is a healthy, balanced market, not a struggling one. Buyers have time to compare homes carefully, and sellers who price against real recent comparable sales and present their home well are still attracting strong interest.

What this means for sellers: pricing and presentation matter more than they have in years. A home that is priced against real recent comparable sales, staged well, photographed professionally, and marketed broadly will still attract strong buyer interest. A home that is overpriced will sit.

What this means for buyers: you have more time, more choices, and more room to negotiate than you did a few years ago. With inventory up across the region, you can compare homes carefully instead of rushing an offer.

Mortgage Rates Remain in a Predictable Range

The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate has been hovering in the 6% to 7% range, and this week it briefly pushed through the top of that range. On September 10, 2026, several national rate trackers showed the 30-year fixed rate crossing 7% for the first time in more than a year, with one benchmark averaging 7.07% for the day, before easing back. The Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, released September 11, 2026, put the U.S. average 30-year fixed rate at 6.76%, with the 15-year average at 6.09%. Southern California borrowers are often quoted in the high 6% to low 7% range depending on credit, points, and loan type. Fannie Mae projects the 30-year rate averaging around 6.8% through the rest of 2026, and the Federal Reserve meets September 16. For buyers, the practical takeaway is unchanged: plan around the rate you can comfortably afford today, and remember that you can often refinance later if rates improve. Veterans should remember that VA loans still offer zero down payment and no PMI, and the VA funding fee is now tax-deductible in 2026. I break down the full rate picture in Mortgage Rates Cross 7%: What Santa Clarita Buyers and Sellers Should Know.

For veterans, affordability is even stronger. VA loans still offer zero down payment, no PMI, competitive rates, and now a tax-deductible funding fee starting in tax year 2026. If you have served, your path to ownership may be more accessible than you realize.

Affordability Is Slowly Improving

California's Housing Affordability Index reached a four-year high earlier this year, meaning a slightly larger share of households can qualify for the median-priced home. Affordability remains a real challenge compared with pre-pandemic years, but the direction is encouraging for first-time buyers and growing families ready to make a move.

Educated Decisions Create Better Results

Whether you are thinking about buying, selling, or simply understanding what your home is worth, the best decisions come from current, local, personalized data, not a generic online estimate. I prepare a customized market analysis for every property I work with, built on real comparable sales, your home's condition, and your neighborhood's specific demand.

Real estate is about people, not just properties. My goal is to help you make a confident decision that supports your family's goals, without pressure and without hype. How can I serve you?

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