Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

Sales are up across Irvine, even with fewer homes for sale

By Jason & Susan Zwolak

Real estate, Irvine - Central and North

I want to share something that surprised me a little. Rates are high. CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 7.49% as of October 7, 2026. That is a real headwind for buyers. Yet the Real Estate Data Aggregator still counted 429 homes sold across Irvine Central and North in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 3.9% from the same three months last year. Demand is still there, even with expensive money.

Pending sales tell a similar story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 457 homes under contract across these ZIP codes, up 2.7% from a year ago. Buyers are still writing offers. Not every home is moving fast, but the pipeline is growing.

Here is the honest part: not every ZIP code is reading the same. Some are moving faster than last year. Some are slower. Prices dipped in most areas, while one ZIP bucked that trend. Let me walk you through each one.

ZIP 92606: the standout this quarter

ZIP 92606 had the strongest numbers of any area here. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 25 homes sold, up 47.1% from a year ago. The median sale price rose 14.1% to $1,460,000. Homes sold at exactly 100% of list price on average. And 36% of homes sold above list. That is the highest above-list share of any ZIP in this market right now.

ZIP 92620: more homes sold, prices eased

ZIP 92620 saw 98 homes sold, up 15.3% from a year ago. That is a real jump in volume. The median sale price came in at $1,615,000, down 7.4%. So buyers got more choices and paid a little less. Homes also moved faster. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows median days on market fell 11 days to 44. Pending sales climbed 23.7% to 115. Nearly 28% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing.

ZIP 92602: the highest prices, more inventory

ZIP 92602 carries the highest median sale price in this market at $2,180,000, though that is down 13% from a year ago. Sales volume rose 14% to 65 homes. Inventory grew too. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 104 homes for sale, up 18.2%. With 4.9 months of supply, buyers here have more room to negotiate. Homes averaged 96.9% of list price.

ZIP 92618: the biggest pool of homes

ZIP 92618 had 171 homes sold, the highest count of any ZIP here, up 3% from a year ago. The median sale price was $1,475,000, down 4.5%. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 326 homes for sale, down 13.8% from last year. That tighter supply helped. Median days on market fell 10 days to 60. Months of supply dropped 1.2 months to 5.8.

ZIP 92614 and 92604: fewer sales, but quick contracts

ZIP 92614 saw 38 homes sold, down 13.6%. The median sale price fell 9.6% to $1,050,000. That is the most affordable median in this group. Still, 33.3% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 9.3 points from a year ago. That tells me well-priced homes here are still finding buyers fast.

ZIP 92604 had 32 homes sold, down 27.3%. The median sale price dipped 1.4% to $1,380,000. Days on market stretched to 57, which is 13 days longer than a year ago. That said, 34.9% of homes went under contract within two weeks, up 8.8 points. The right price still works here.

What the wider picture adds

Rates are not helping buyers right now. CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed rate rose to 7.49% as of October 7, 2026. That adds real cost to every purchase. At the same time, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. home prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026, and 0.3% from June to July 2026 alone. Prices nationally are still inching up, even slowly.

One thing I always remind people: the ZIP code numbers are a starting point. One street can read very differently from the ZIP around it. If your home is in any of these areas and you want to know what the numbers mean for your specific block, text me. I am happy to dig into it.