Three weeks ago, a single-story home on Woodman Street in the Otay Ranch area of Chula Vista sat on the market for 19 days before getting an offer. A year ago, that same house in that same pocket would have had multiple offers inside a week. That shift matters.
I've been watching MLS data across San Diego County closely this spring, and the numbers confirm what I'm feeling on the ground. Active listings are up roughly 30% compared to this time last year, according to what I pulled from the San Diego MLS in late April. That's a meaningful jump. Buyers have more to choose from, and that changes everything about how a seller should approach pricing.
Here's where I'll be direct. Some agents are still advising sellers to price high and "test the market." I think that's a mistake right now. Overpriced homes are sitting, collecting days on market, and then selling below where they would have landed if they'd been priced right from the start. The market is rewarding accuracy. Homes priced well, in good condition, are still moving. Homes priced on hope are stalling.
The buyer side looks different too. In Oceanside and Escondido, I'm seeing buyers negotiate inspection repairs again. That wasn't happening 18 months ago. Sellers were brushing off repair requests entirely. Now there's room to have that conversation, and buyers should be having it.
One thing I bring to these conversations is a block-by-block understanding of how these neighborhoods actually work. My years in law enforcement taught me that a community can change character from one street to the next. That's true in real estate too. A zip code doesn't tell you much. The specific street, the surrounding homes, the school boundary line, those details drive value. I've lived in San Diego over 20 years and I still drive a neighborhood before I advise a client on it.
For sellers this quarter, my advice is simple. Get a pre-listing inspection, price based on what's closed in the last 60 days (not 6 months), and don't assume the spring rush will do your work for you.
For buyers, you have more leverage than you've had in a while. Use it. But don't confuse a cooling market with a falling one. Prices aren't dropping across the board. They're just not climbing at the pace that made everyone feel like they had to panic-buy.
If you're sitting on the fence, I'd rather you call me and ask a specific question than guess.