Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

Laguna Beach moved faster even with mortgage rates above 7%

By Jason & Susan Zwolak

Real estate, Laguna Beach

I was looking at the Laguna Beach numbers for the three months ending July 31, 2026, and one thing stood out right away. The market moved faster than it did a year ago, even as mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025, according to Realtor.com. That tells you something real about how buyers are behaving right now.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 22.2% of Laguna Beach homes going under contract within two weeks of listing. That is up 14 points from the same period in 2025. Not every home moved fast, but nearly 1 in 4 did. Pricing and prep still matter a lot.

Days on market dropped, and sales climbed

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median home in Laguna Beach spent 62 days on market. That is 11 days shorter than a year before. And 96 homes sold, up 23.1% from the same three months in 2025. Supply fell too: months of supply dropped 3.3 months to 5.7. Fewer homes available, more homes selling.

Prices held firm and sellers got closer to their asking price

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price at $3,349,500, up 8.9% from a year before. Sellers received 97.3% of their asking price on average, up 1.7 points. And 15.6% of homes sold above list price, up 5.3 points. That is a real shift toward sellers, even with rates where they are.

Rates above 7% are real, and buyers are still moving

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025 in September 2026. CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed rate on conforming loans reached 7.30% as of September 30, 2026. That is a real cost. Yet the Laguna Beach numbers show buyers acting anyway, at least on homes priced and presented well.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted 179 homes for sale during the period, down 21.5% from a year before. Fewer choices for buyers can push decisions faster. New listings came in at 136, up 15.3%, so sellers are still entering the market.

One thing I always want you to know: the ZIP code picture does not tell every story. One street can read very differently from the numbers above. If you want to know what is happening closer to your front door, text me your address and I will take a look.