06/16/2026
The NBA Finals just wrapped up. 🏀
But there's another game still being played — and we're only at
halftime: the 2026 housing market in LA County and Orange County.
I just dropped the full halftime report — and the scoreboard tells
a story most agents (and most national headlines) are getting wrong.
Here's what the data actually shows at the halfway point of 2026:
📊 99% of LA + OC sellers have equity.
Distressed sales? 1% of the market. Foreclosure wave? Nowhere
in sight. This isn't 2008.
📊 Sale-to-list ratio: 100% in both counties.
Homes are still closing at full asking price. That's not a market
in panic. That's a market that's slowed down — there's a difference.
📊 Orange County is selling 28 days FASTER than LA.
Expected market time: OC 83 days vs LA 111 days. So "the California
market" isn't one thing — it's local. Down to your street.
📊 12,000+ LA sellers pulled their homes off the market this year.
+15% YoY. Highest since the Great Recession. Translation? Most
sellers don't HAVE to sell. That's exactly why there's no crash
brewing.
📊 Mortgage rates are the gas pedal.
February: 5.99%. Today: 6.68%. The Iran conflict spiked inflation
fears and rates climbed. The day rates fall AND stay down is the
day this slow market wakes up fast.
—
So what does the halftime scoreboard mean for YOU?
🔑 If you're BUYING: You finally have leverage. Less competition,
room to negotiate, and homes that have been sitting are open to
real offers.
🏡 If you're SELLING: Buyers are real but picky. Price it right
out of the gate and your home still sells in weeks. Overprice it
and you'll chase the market down for months.
👀 If you're just WATCHING: Keep your eye on mortgage rates.
That's the gas pedal. When it falls, the market moves.
—
Watch the full halftime breakdown above. Full city-by-city data
(Diamond Bar, Walnut, Chino Hills, Brea, Yorba Linda, La Habra,
West Covina + more) is on the blog — link in comments below 👇
If you're thinking about buying or selling and want to know what
all this means for YOUR specific home — I'm running free 15-minute
strategy calls all month. Live MLS comps for your block. Where
your home sits today versus six months ago. What's actually selling
in your zip code. No pressure. No pitch. Just real numbers.
DM me the word "HALFTIME" or comment your city below and I'll send
you the link.
—
Jack Ma | REALTOR® | DRE #01869426
Century 21 Masters
📞 909.610.5188
