Whether you're buying, selling, or simply exploring the San Diego market, this is your go-to resource for strategic real estate guidance, tax-smart planning tips, and a curated look at the best homes across the county. As longtime local experts with decades of experience, we share real-world strategies we use with our clients every day, plus honest opinions on property values, neighborhood insights from true locals, and smart advice for those looking to invest in coastal San Diego.
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Strong Start to 2026! Facts, Data & Thinking vs. Headlines
Published about 1 month ago • 6 min read
We are back and running in 2026. Truthfully, we never really stopped over the holidays and currently have over $9M in escrow closing this month. We are looking forward to a strong year ahead and are here to help in any way we can.
We are working hard for buyers to find opportunities both on and off market. Our sellers continue to leverage our experience, networks, and extensive marketing to get homes into escrow quickly, at top dollar, and with strong buyers. Our last three listings in December generated significant activity and multiple offers in under 15 days. Pricing and exposure are only part of the plan, and this all happened during what is considered the “slow” time of year.
Over the last month, sellers have slowed down, but buyers have not. Homes are still selling and inventory has declined. There are only 71 houses currently on the market in La Jolla. Just a few months ago there were over 110, and inventory dipped as low as 50 during 2020–2022. Sales are down simply because there are fewer homes available. If sales were down and inventory was up, that would be a very different story.
Critical, objective analysis of facts is rare, but essential.Take our current, up-to-date experience and access to real data and compare it to this clickbait headline and article... If buyers or sellers make decisions based on headlines like this, they risk being seriously misinformed. Be careful what you read and what you believe.
“Breathtaking coastal city that sits right on southern border where property prices are now tanking after huge Covid surge.”
Here is the actual line from the article: “In October, the average price of a home in San Diego was about 0.6% lower than last year, compared to the 0.85% drop in September.”
If 0.6% is considered “tanking,” this writer deserves an award for hyperbole.
We picked seven listings to feature this week. Our favorites include:
• 6122 Vista De La Mesa – Small but a true gem in a great neighborhood on a large lot. This will be a hot property. • 617 Gage – A fantastic estate in a great neighborhood. A true family compound with everything you need.
La Jolla Heights
7875 Bellakaren Pl
6 BD | 5 BA | 3,734 SF
$3,795,000
Stunning La Jolla Estate with Permitted 2 Bedroom Casita on 1.18 Acres! Welcome to 7875 Bellakaren Pl, a breathtaking retreat nestled on 1.18 acres of serene, pastoral beauty with sweeping mountain views.
Lower Hermosa | La Jolla
6122 Vista De La Mesa
2 BD | 2 BA | 1,679 SF
$3,975,000
On an ultra-prime flat 10,876 SqFt lot in highly sought-after Lower Hermosa near both WindanSea Beach and Bird Rock Village, this gracious, charming, one-level La Jolla classic in a superb location.
Village of La Jolla
464 Prospect St #101
2 BD | 3 BA | 3,283 SF
$4,199,000
Perched above the coastline in one of the La Jolla’s most prestigious historic addresses, this exceptional 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath residence offers a rare blend of timeless elegance and modern luxury—framed by sweeping white water ocean views.
La Jolla Shores
7911 El Paseo Grande
5 BD | 6 BA | 3,642 SF
$5,385,000
Just fully remodeled top to bottom in 2023. 1/2 block to Beach Club but quiet and bright contemporary home featuring high ceilings and an open floor plan—ideal for entertaining.
Point Loma
617 Gage Drive
4 BD | 6 BA | 5,140 SF
$6,995,000
Elevated on one of Point Loma’s most prestigious streets, this bespoke residence sits on a rare ½-acre lot in the coveted La Playa & Wooded Area. The home captures sweeping panoramic views of Coronado, San Diego Bay, and the downtown skyline from nearly every room.
Pacific Beach
2128 Missouri St
4 BD | 2 BA | 2,660 SF
$2,399,000
Seller is offering a potential rate buy-down. Welcome to this beautifully upgraded 4-bedroom, 2-bath single-family home located on a quiet, non-through street in one of Pacific Beach’s most desirable neighborhoods.
Mission Beach
2949 Ocean Front Walk
3 BD | 3 BA | 1,655 SF
$3,295,000
Perfectly positioned along San Diego’s most prestigious oceanfront corridor, this top-floor sanctuary offers a lifestyle that seamlessly blends panoramic vantage points with direct proximity to the sand—an exceptional combination seldom found on the coastline
We walked the King Tide Challenge last weekend! 11 miles along the beach that’s only exposed during the King Tides this time of year. Started at the Jolla Shores parking lot and walked all the way to Tower 13 restaurant in Cardiff. We saw a nudibranch (cute colorful sea creature - check out the video of it on our instagram!) Lots of people!!
6424 El Camino Del Teatro
Muirlands La Jolla | $4,299,000
We just put this home in escrow with a great buyer and received multiple offers. We executed a comprehensive marketing campaign that included mailers, open houses, broker caravans, an email campaign, social media marketing, presentations at networking groups, print ads, and more.
We also put this home into escrow within the week with great buyers and multiple offers. Again, we executed our comprehensive marketing campaign and were able to secure multiple offers within a short time frame for our clients.
We put this property offering a three-bedroom, three-bath single-family residence plus a one-bedroom, one-bath ADU, into escrow not long after going on the market. The ADU provides great options for live in family members or as an income producing rental.
So this year was practical house stuff Christmas. Yes, that's right. I got household stuff and I LOVE IT!!!
Gift #1: From Simone: A Bissel Steamshot. I have been been steam cleaning everything. I actually have white grout! I'm waiting for the upholstery fixture to arrive so I can go crazy on the upholstered chairs. I'm so excited!!
Gift #2: From Quinn: I received a flame thing. The kind that crisps food. I am honestly a little scared to use it but I'm waiting for the perfect food item to try...a desert, a piece of meat....I'm not sure yet. Any recommendations?
Gift #3: From Ryan: Hexclad pots, pans and all of the extras. Have you ever heard of these? Oh my gosh, they're amazing. Truly, they might (they ARE) be nicest thing in my 1960's kitchen. They are so high end that we don't really know what to do with them yet. I highly recommend buying a set.
So that's my practical Christmas. I'm at that age. It's pretty magical. I hope that you all received something wonderful during the holidays.
The 14 Most Sought-After Reservations in San Diego
Booked out weeks in advance, these are the hardest restaurants to score a reservation at in San Diego. Plan ahead!
After years of affordability challenges, the housing market is entering a new phase of improved affordability, not through a dramatic price correction, but through an extended period of flat home prices, rising incomes, and gradually falling mortgage rates.
See the full breakdown from our Chief Economist at Compass, Mike Simonsen
We were featured in the latest edition of SD Voyager Magazine!
The article speaks to our careers before we met (at the office in 2004), how we got started in the business together, to challenges & lessons we've learned along the way, and finally what sets us apart from others in the industry.
Compass is a real estate broker licensed by the State of California operating under multiple entities. License Numbers 01991628, 1527235, 1527365, 1356742, 1443761, 1997075, 1935359, 1961027, 1842987, 1869607, 1866771, 1527205, 1079009, 1272467. All material is intended for informational purposes only and is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description or measurements (including square footage). This is not intended to solicit property already listed. No financial or legal advice provided. Equal Housing Opportunity. Photos may be virtually staged or digitally enhanced and may not reflect actual property conditions.
Whether you're buying, selling, or simply exploring the San Diego market, this is your go-to resource for strategic real estate guidance, tax-smart planning tips, and a curated look at the best homes across the county. As longtime local experts with decades of experience, we share real-world strategies we use with our clients every day, plus honest opinions on property values, neighborhood insights from true locals, and smart advice for those looking to invest in coastal San Diego.
If you have worked with us, you know that Tracie is extremely efficient, organized, detail oriented, and manages escrow like a true professional. When we open a new escrow, we are under a tight timeline to perform and protect our clients. We have a current escrow with an out of town buyer. We can handle 90% of a sale for clients who are out of the area. Tracie is managing about 10 inspections, multiple vendors, phone calls, bids, and estimates. Calls with clients, escrow, title, the seller's...
With the warmer weather, the market is behaving more like mid-summer than late winter. There is real momentum right now. In conversations with agents across the coast, most are working with active buyers, but there continues to be limited new inventory coming to market. We’re not seeing prices bid up week after week, but homes are selling and good properties are moving. If interest rates were to come down, this could turn into a much faster-moving market. There is a large group of would-be...
We’ve been BUSY!! We’re incredibly grateful for the trust our clients place in us and for the referrals that continue to come our way. This has been a challenging market for some agents, but we’ve been fortunate to work with exceptional clients who value strategy, communication, and results. That connection is what drives us to fight hard for the best possible outcome every time. We have a great success story below that’s a perfect example of that. We also have some great property picks this...