Good morning, Orange County. This week's quick read is about pace: how long homes are taking to sell in a few Orange County markets, what that means if you're buying or selling, and a few things worth doing around town.
Monday Motivation
“Good decisions rarely feel rushed. Get clear on your numbers now, and you get to move on your timeline, not the market's.”
Move of the week: Look at how many days homes near you are taking to sell (it's in this update). If a move is on your radar for the next year, that number tells you how much runway to plan for.
Your Orange County Market
County figures: C.A.R., September 2026, existing single-family homes.
City snapshot (Redfin; median sale price for the 3 months ending the month shown, days on market for that month vs. a year earlier):
| City | Median | YoY | Days on mkt | Mo. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anaheim | $969,538 | ▲ +8.6% | 41 (vs. 47) | Sep |
| Huntington Beach | $1,399,334 | ▲ +5.3% | 43 (vs. 47) | Sep |
| Irvine | $1,449,310 | ▼ -6.5% | 61 (vs. 62) | Sep |
Rates this week: 30-yr fixed 7.32% · 15-yr fixed 6.68% (Freddie Mac PMMS, October 22, 2026), down from 7.40% and 6.71% the week before. A year ago: 6.19% and 5.44%.
Your Orange County market page → · Estimate your seller net sheet →
What It Means For You
If you're buying
At the Orange County median (C.A.R., September 2026) of $1,480,000, putting 20% down, this week's 7.32% average 30-year rate works out to about $8,133/month in principal and interest, vs. about $7,244 at last year's 6.19%. In the snapshot above, median days on market ranged from 41 (Anaheim) to 61 (Irvine), so the pace depends a lot on where you shop.
If you're selling
The Orange County median is up 5.6% from September 2025, while sales are down 2.0%. Your city and street can look different, so a value based on recent sales near you is the place to start.
Homeowner reminder · Safety
Clocks fall back Sunday. Test your alarms.
Daylight saving time ends this Sunday, Nov. 1, at 2 a.m. It's an easy reminder to check your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms. The U.S. Fire Administration says to test smoke alarms monthly, replace the batteries at least once a year, and replace the whole smoke alarm every 10 years. California's carbon monoxide law also requires CO detectors in homes that have a fossil-fuel-burning heater, appliance or fireplace.
Sources: NIST, 2026 daylight saving time dates; U.S. Fire Administration smoke alarm guidance (page reviewed Oct. 13, 2026); City of West Hollywood summary of California's Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Prevention Act of 2010.
Around Orange County
- Nutcracker Holiday Tree Lighting · Anaheim
Sun, Dec 6 · tree lighting at 6 p.m.
Steps of Anaheim City Hall - Huntington Harbour Boat Parade · Huntington Beach
Sat-Sun, Dec 12-13 · times to be posted on the organizer's site
Huntington Harbour
Event info from organizers' public listings and may change. Please confirm before you go.