By admin Home sales in the four-county Sacramento area fell in July while prices remained stable.
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Statewide, closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California felll 6% from June and increased 1.1% on a year-over-year basis, the California Association of Realtors said in a news release.
Median prices fell 1.9% to $887,680 in July from $904,640 in June, a 0.3% increase over July 2025, the association said.
“California’s housing market pulled back last month as mortgage rates remained elevated and briefly reached a 12-month high in recent weeks,” said Tamara Suminski, president of the association.
“Despite a slower start to the second half of 2026, improved supply conditions in July, combined with the recent decline in mortgage rates, could provide some relief to buyers and give them more options to choose from as the market transitions into the off-peak season,” she said.
Pending home sales also slowed 6.8% in July over June, but showed a 1% gain over July 2025.
“July’s housing market performance reflected the ongoing challenges under the current economic and lending environment, but the market continues to show signs of resilience,” said Jordan Levine, senior vice president and chief economist of the association.
Here’s what to know:
What do the numbers show?
Home sales in Sacramento County fell 5.2% in July from June and were 1.4% lower than in July 2025.
In Placer County, sales decreased 0.8% from June and were 11.4% higher than in July 2025.
Home sales in El Dorado County fell 7.6% in July compared to June and were 16.8% higher than in July 2025.
Sales in Yolo County were unchanged from June and were 22.5% higher than in July 2025.
Median home sale prices in Sacramento County fell 3.5% to $540,000 from $559,500 in July 2025.
In Placer County, median home sale prices increased 0.2% to $689,000 from $687,480 in the same period.
Median home sale prices in El Dorado County rose 2.4% to $735,000 from $717,500 in July 2025.
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In Yolo County, median home sale prices increased 0.4% to $637,500 from $635,000 in July 2025.
What do the numbers mean?
A slow start marked the second half of 2026 as sales pulled back and home prices stabilized, Oscar Wei, deputy chief economist for the California Association of Realtors, said.
Higher mortgage rates and financial market volatility hit buyer demand, creating soft sales activity, he said.
“Sacramento began slowing down month-over-month and year-over-year, but El Dorado, Yolo, and Placer continued to improve from their year-ago levels,” Wei said.
He called it “encouraging” that “housing demand could remain decent in some counties in the Central Valley region in the second half of the year despite elevated mortgage rates.”
What do buyers need to know?
“Home buyers should understand that while market competition may not be as fierce as a couple months ago when the housing market was at its peak, there will likely be fewer new homes being listed in the upcoming months as the market enters its off-season” Wei said.
Buyers may find they have more negotiating leverage but fewer options in coming months.
“Housing demand in El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento, and Yolo appears to be outpacing that of the state in the first seven months of the year,” Wei said.
What do sellers need to know?
Housing demand could continue to slow in the transition to the buying off-season, Wei said.
“Homes for sale could remain on the market for a little longer before selling compared with a few weeks ago during the peak home buying season,” he said.
What do the figures mean for 2026?
“July’s housing market performance reflected the ongoing challenges under the current economic and lending environment, but the market continues to show signs of resilience,” Wei said.
Moderation in rates could help stabilize demand and market conditions could improve if geopolitical tensions ease, he said. Year-over-year sales are expected to end up slightly higher in 2026.
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