California home sales hit highest level since February, C.A.R. reports

Infographic: https://www.car.org/Global/Infographics/2025-10-Sales-and-Price

Closed escrow sales of existing, single-family detached homes in California totaled a seasonally adjusted annualized rate of 282,590 in October, according to information collected by C.A.R. from more than 90 local REALTOR® associations and MLSs statewide. The statewide annualized sales figure represents what would be the total number of homes sold during 2025 if sales maintained the October pace throughout the year. It is adjusted to account for seasonal factors that typically influence home sales.

October home sales edged up 1.9 percent from 277,410 in September to 282,590 in October. Home sales improved 4.1 percent from a revised 271,370 recorded a year earlier. Total home sales through the first ten months of 2025 also moved further above last year's level in October. Nevertheless, October marked the 37th consecutive month in which statewide sales remained below the 300,000-unit benchmark.

Statewide pending home sales in October edged up 0.8 percent year over year—the third consecutive annual increase but slipped 1.2 percent from September due primarily to seasonal factors. At the county level, pending sales improved from last year in 26 counties but dipped year-over-year in 24 counties.

"Housing demand in California has been steadily improving, with home sales rising for the third month in a row. Even though mortgage rates have inched up since late October, the market remains active, and buyers still have solid opportunities," said 2026 C.A.R. President Tamara Suminski, a Southern California broker and REALTOR®. "Home prices are growing at a manageable pace, and we're seeing a healthier balance between buyers and sellers. As we head into 2026, these trends point to a promising moment for anyone considering a move in the California real estate market."

The statewide median home price ticked up 0.4 percent from $883,640 in September to $886,960 in October, bucking the long-run declining trend at an average of -1.4 percent observed between September and October. The October median price dipped year over year for the first time in three months, down 0.2 percent to $888,740 but remained near the record-high reached six months ago. Despite stabilizing home prices in recent months, mortgage rate volatility and heightened economic uncertainty could continue to keep prospective buyers on the sidelines and may delay a broader recovery in the near term.

"Mortgage rates, which briefly approached their 12-month low in October, have resumed an upward trajectory as the Federal Reserve took a more cautious approach during the government shutdown," said C.A.R. Senior Vice President and Chief Economist Jordan Levine. "With the market easing into its seasonal slowdown, housing demand will stay soft, and California is likely to close out 2025 with only a modest uptick in home sales over last year."

Other key points from C.A.R.'s October 2025 resale housing report include:

• At the regional level, all but one of the state's major regions recorded year-over-year sales gains on a non-seasonally adjusted basis. The Far North led all regions with an 18 percent increase from a year ago and was the only region with a double-digit gain. Southern California (5.6 percent), the Central Valley (4.0 percent), and the San Francisco Bay Area (2.5 percent) also posted moderate home sales improvements, while the Central Coast (-1.5 percent) was the sole region to register a year-over-year decline.
• At the county level, 34 of the 53 counties tracked by C.A.R. recorded year-over-year sales improvements in October, with nearly half (16) of them growing by double-digits. Trinity (85.7 percent) led the way with the highest sales growth from October 2024, followed by Lassen (58.3 percent) and Kings (52.9 percent). Eighteen counties experienced annual sales declines in October, with sales in five counties dropping more than 10 percent including San Benito (-18.4 percent), San Luis Obispo (-15.2 percent), and Tehama (-12 percent).
• Two of California's five major regions posted year-over-year median home price gains in October. The Central Coast increased a solid 7.9 percent from October 2024, while Southern California recorded a modest 1.1 percent price uptick. By contrast, the Far North (-3.8 percent) experienced the largest annual price decline, followed by the San Francisco Bay Area (-1.1 percent) and the Central Valley (-0.2 precent).
• Twenty-three California counties recorded year-over-year median home price gains in October. Santa Barbara (26.7 percent) registered the sharpest increase of all counties, followed by Trinity (22 percent) and Mono (18.6 percent). More than half (28) of all counties tracked by C.A.R. posted price decreases from a year ago, with Tuolumne (15.3 percent) dropping the most, while Lassen (-11 percent) and Del Norte (-9.9 percent) recorded the second and the third steepest annual price declines in October.
• Following the typical seasonal downward pattern, housing inventory fell in October from the previous month as the market transitioned into the off season. The Unsold Inventory Index (UII) dipped in October compared to September, as home sales ticked up and active listings pulled back. The index was 3.2 months in October, down from 3.6 months in September and essentially unchanged from 3.1 months in October 2024. Year over year, the UII grew modestly as total active listings continued to grow from a year ago for the 21st consecutive month. However, the 10.3 percent increase was the smallest since February 2024. October marked the sixth straight month of decelerating inventory growth, an indication that the momentum on the supply side is gradually easing as the market moves further into the holiday season.
• The median number of days it took to sell a California single-family home was 32 days in October, up from 25 days in October 2024.
• C.A.R.'s statewide sales-price-to-list-price ratio* was 98.3 percent in October 2025 and 99.9 percent in October 2024.
• The statewide median price per square foot** for an existing single-family home was $431, down from $442 in October a year ago.
• The 30-year, fixed-mortgage interest rate averaged 6.25 percent in October, down from 6.43 percent in October 2024, according to C.A.R.'s calculations based on Freddie Mac's weekly mortgage survey data.

Note:  The County MLS median price and sales data in the tables are generated from a survey of more than 90 associations of REALTORS® throughout the state and represent statistics of existing single-family detached homes only. County sales data is not adjusted to account for seasonal factors that can influence home sales. Movements in sales prices should not be interpreted as changes in the cost of a standard home. The median price is where half sold for more and half sold for less; medians are more typical than average prices, which are skewed by a relatively small share of transactions at either the lower end or the upper end. Median prices can be influenced by changes in cost, as well as changes in the characteristics and the size of homes sold. The change in median prices should not be construed as actual price changes in specific homes.

*Sales-to-list-price ratio is an indicator that reflects the negotiation power of home buyers and home sellers under current market conditions. The ratio is calculated by dividing the final sales price of a property by its original list price and is expressed as a percentage. A sales-to-list ratio with 100 percent or above suggests that the property sold for more than the list price, and a ratio below 100 percent indicates that the price sold below the asking price.

**Price per square foot is a measure commonly used by real estate agents and brokers to determine how much a square foot of space a buyer will pay for a property. It is calculated as the sale price of the home divided by the number of finished square feet. C.A.R. currently tracks price-per-square foot statistics for 53 counties.

Leading the way…® in California real estate for 120 years, the CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® ( www.car.org ) is one of the largest state trade organizations in the United States with 190,000 members dedicated to the advancement of professionalism in real estate. C.A.R. is headquartered in Sacramento.

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SOURCE CALIFORNIA ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS® (C.A.R.)