Orange County Coastal Market Update – January 19, 2026

Written by Jarett Richards | Coastal Real Estate Specialist

As we head into the first quarter of 2026, Orange County’s coastal real estate markets — from Newport Beach to Huntington Beach — are showing resilience, complexity, and opportunity. Below is a deep dive into the latest housing data across the coast, along with a critical comparison to 2008 to understand why today's market is fundamentally different.

📈 What the Numbers Are Really Saying

1. Inventory Remains Low, Especially for Condos

In virtually every coastal market, inventory remains well below pre-pandemic levels. Huntington Beach, with 89 condos and 99 SFR listings, is among the more "balanced" markets — but compared to historical norms, we're still operating in a low-supply environment.

Newport Coast has just 8 condos available. That’s not a typo — 8. This sort of scarcity, especially at the luxury level, continues to keep prices firm even as demand softens slightly.

2. Days on Market Are Up — But That Doesn’t Mean What It Did in 2008

Yes, homes are taking longer to sell. Laguna Beach SFRs are sitting an average of 217 days. Newport Coast SFRs? 172. But this is not the red flag it was in the past.

In 2008, rising DOM meant collapsing demand driven by foreclosures and tightened credit. In 2026, rising DOM reflects a stand-off between confident sellers and more cautious buyers — not desperation.

Most of today’s sellers are equity-rich, low-leveraged, and not under pressure to sell. This creates a slower pace, but not a weaker market.

3. Prices Are Holding — Especially in Prime Coastal Zip Codes

There are no signs of distressed sales pulling prices down. In fact:

Newport Coast SFRs are holding at $14.65M median — a figure that would have been unthinkable in 2016, let alone 2008.
Laguna Beach condos are averaging $1,420 per square foot — strong pricing for a segment typically more volatile.

Even where homes have longer DOM, price per square foot is staying stable or rising. This suggests sellers are confident in long-term value, and buyers are not walking away — they’re just taking longer to commit.

Why 2026 Is Not 2008

Then:

Subprime mortgages
Zero equity
Speculative flipping
Forced sales
Price free-fall

Now:

Most owners locked into 3–4% rates
High equity positions
Tight lending standards
No foreclosure wave
Structural supply shortage

While DOM and buyer hesitancy may look similar on the surface, the economic mechanics are not. Today’s market is driven by low inventory, sticky pricing, and high credit quality — not a credit crisis.

What to Watch Moving Forward

Interest rates: If rates adjust downward later this year, expect demand to spike quickly in sub-$2M markets like Huntington and parts of Newport.
Inventory shifts: Track inventory monthly — especially in Corona Del Mar and Laguna Beach where DOM is highest.
Price reductions: In the luxury space, motivated sellers may test cuts — but don’t expect bargains. The floor is still high.

Final Thoughts

The 2026 coastal market is many things — slow, competitive, expensive — but it’s not crashing. What we’re seeing is a normalization of pace after three years of artificial acceleration. For both buyers and sellers, strategy now matters more than ever.

Stay tuned each month for an honest, numbers-first look at the Orange County market — right here.

Written by Jarett Richards
Luxury Coastal Real Estate | JarettRichards.com