Home sales rebound in Sacramento region as California sales falter, experts say

Home sales in the Sacramento region rebounded in March, with Sacramento County showing an 18% rise over February, while sales remained sluggish across California, experts said.

The California Association of Realtors report on March home sales in the state shows the Sacramento area outpacing the rest of California in sales after a slow start to 2026.

Sales of existing homes in the four-county area in January fell by about a third compared to December, the association said.

But March sales rose by as much as nearly 38% in the region over February. Sale prices showed slight increases or slight declines over March 2025, the association said.

WEI on Sacto. PENDING

Across California as a whole, home sales in March showed a 3.5% drop in March over February. That’s a 2.5% drop compared to March 2025.

Total California home sales sank to 265,320 in March, the association said.

“March home sales were subdued, as higher mortgage rates and stock market volatility kept many buyers on the sidelines,” said Tamara Suminski, president of the association. “As both geopolitical tension and interest rates ease for the third straight week, buyers and sellers who have been taking a wait-and-see strategy could return to the market if the conflict in the Middle East continues to stabilize.”

Here’s what to know:

What do the numbers show?

Home sales in Sacramento County in March rose 18% over February, a 7% increase compared to March 2025.

In Placer County, sales rose 36% over February and showed a 1% rise compared to March 2025, the association said.

Home sales in El Dorado County rose by 37.7% in March compared to February, showing a 2.6% increase since March 2025.

Sales in Yolo County remained steady since February, with a 1% rise compared to March 2025.

Median home sale prices in Sacramento County fell by 1.8% to $550,000 from $560,000 in March compared to March 2025, the association said.

In Placer County, median home sale prices rose by 1.6% to $675,750 from $665,000 in the same period.

Median home sale prices in El Dorado County fell 8.8% to $659,000 from $722,500 in March 2025

In Yolo County, median home sale prices rose by 5.3% to $647,500 from $615,000 in the same period.

What do the numbers mean?

The drop in monthly sales across California shows “uncertainty remained in the market,” Wei said.

“Surge in mortgage rates and a chaotic stock market might also have caused some pending sales contract to cancel in March as buyers started having second thoughts,” he said.

But sales could improve soon if the Iran war is resolved quickly and mortgage rates drop, Wei said.

“Home prices seemed to have stabilized as we entered the spring home buying season, and supply conditions tightening up in the last couple months is a contributing factor,” he said.

What do buyers need to know?

“Homebuyers have been on the sideline and might have already noticed the moderation in rates in recent weeks,” Wei said. “With the Iran war situation not yet resolved, buyers have been taking a wait-and-see strategy.”

But potential buyers may not want to wait too long since mortgage rates are unlikely to drop sharply even after the conflict ends.

“With the home buying season underway, market competition has already heated up and the market will likely remain competitive in the next couple of months,” Wei said.

What do sellers need to know?

Prices are stabilizing and may even rise slightly in coming months as demand rises and supply continues to be tight, Wei said.

But buyers will still harbor concerns about mortgage rates and are likely to be more prone to negotiate on price, he warned.

What do figures mean for 2026?

“Uncertainty continues to be the theme, and the market will remain soft in the next few weeks,” Wei said. “Sales activity and price, however, should pick up in the second half of the year, assuming there will be more clarity on the political home front.”

Rates should come down in the next few months, but buyers may not want to wait that long as their picks may no longer be on the market.