If San Diego Homes Are Selling in 20 Days, Why Is Market Time 107 Days?
If San Diego Homes Are Selling in 20 Days... Why Is Market Time 107 Days?
The difference tells buyers where negotiating opportunities may be hiding—and tells sellers why pricing correctly matters more than ever.
20 Days vs. 107 Days: How Can Both Be Right?
San Diego homes that closed in July had a median Days on Market of approximately 20 days.
Yet the current Expected Market Time is 107 days.
Those numbers sound contradictory, but they measure completely different things.
Add together the Days on Market for homes that sold and divide by the number of sales.
The problem is that a few homes taking an unusually long time to sell can pull the average higher.
Median looks at the midpoint of the homes that actually sold. Half sold faster and half took longer.
This is a useful measurement of what happened to successful sales.
Expected Market Time looks at the market right now by comparing current inventory with the current pace of pending sales.
Here's What the Numbers Really Mean
The homes buyers choose can still sell quickly.
At the same time, many other homes can sit on the market, reduce their price, fall out of escrow or eventually come off the market without selling.
That's why looking only at the median Days on Market can give buyers and sellers an incomplete picture.
Expected Market Time looks at today's supply versus buyer demand.
Buying? Don't Treat All 5,981 Listings the Same
One of the biggest mistakes a buyer can make is assuming every seller has the same motivation.
They don't.
A home that came on the market yesterday with several interested buyers is completely different from a home that has been available for months.
I look for clues that a seller may be more willing to negotiate:
- Recent price reductions
- Longer time on the market
- Homes that fell out of escrow
- Vacant properties
- Multiple previous price changes
- Homes competing against similar listings
- Properties that may need updating
- Sellers with a stronger reason to make a move
These searches can be a better starting point than simply looking at the newest listings.
HOMES WITH RECENT PRICE REDUCTIONS HOMES THAT FELL OUT OF ESCROW FIND OFF-MARKET & UNLISTED HOMES SEARCH ALL SAN DIEGO HOMESTell me the area, type of home and maximum price you're considering.
I'll help identify properties where I believe you may have better negotiating leverage.
TEXT GEORGE YOUR HOME SEARCHSelling? The 20-Day Number Can Be Misleading
The fact that the median successfully sold home took about 20 days does not mean you can put any home on the market at any price and expect it to sell in three weeks.
A 107-day Expected Market Time means buyers have choices.
Your home is competing for the next buyer against every similar property they can consider.
That's why the combination of price, condition, presentation and positioning matters.
Is Zillow—or AI—Right About Your Home?
Automated home values are useful as a starting point, but they are not the same thing as determining what a buyer is likely to pay for your individual property.
According to this San Diego housing report, the median Zestimate error rate for homes that had not already been listed for sale was approximately 6.20%.
Zillow, Redfin and AI cannot physically walk through your home and fully judge the things buyers see.
- Condition and remodeling
- Views and privacy
- Lot characteristics
- Floor plan
- Deferred maintenance
- Curb appeal
- Location within the neighborhood
- Current competing listings
- What today's buyers are actually choosing
I'll compare your automated estimates with recent sales, pending homes and your current competition to help determine what buyers may actually pay.
GET MY FREE HOME VALUE SEE WHAT A CASH BUYER MAY PAY TEXT GEORGE YOUR PROPERTY ADDRESSReal Estate Is Local
Countywide statistics are helpful, but your neighborhood, price range and property type can behave very differently.
Detached homes, condos, luxury properties and individual communities can all have different inventory levels and market times.
Text me the community or ZIP code, and I'll help you look at what's happening there.
TEXT YOUR AREA TO 619-846-1244The Bottom Line
20-day Median DOM: What happened to the homes that successfully sold.
107-day Expected Market Time: What today's inventory and buyer demand indicate about the current market.
For buyers: Don't wait for the entire market to become a “deal.” Find individual sellers where the circumstances may give you negotiating leverage.
For sellers: Don't assume that because some homes sell quickly, yours automatically will. You need to be one of the homes buyers choose.
Buying, selling—or trying to figure out whether now makes sense? Let's look at your actual numbers instead of guessing.
CALL GEORGE: 619-846-1244 TEXT GEORGE VISIT GEORGELORIMER.COM