Best Time to Buy a House in the Bay Area · 2026

5 years of sales data · Data through Aug 2026 · Selling instead?

Data curated by Melanie Tan, 8 Blocks Real Estate · How this data works

Measured from roughly 253,360 actual Bay Area closings over the past 5 years, buyer conditions are consistently best around January: the three months ending in January have averaged the least bidding-war pressure (46% of homes selling over asking, vs. 63% for the three months ending in May), and homes sit longest in that same stretch (~30 days to pending), which means more room to negotiate and keep contingencies. If choice matters more than leverage, the three months ending in September have averaged the most homes for sale (8,957 listings across the region).

Two honest caveats. Redfin reports each month as a rolling three-month window, so “January” here means the stretch ending in January, averaged over 5 years — a tendency, not a guarantee about any given week. And the quietest stretch has less choice precisely because fewer sellers list then. The right time for you depends more on rates, your finances, and the specific home than the calendar.

Every stretch of the year, measured

Averages across all tracked cities, 5 years of data; each row is the three months ending in that month — highlighted rows favor buyers

3 months endingHomes soldSold over askingSale vs. listHomes for saleDays on market
January10,29546%2.5%5,44330d
February9,20448%3.0%6,20329d
March9,87456%4.7%6,97621d
April12,12461%5.9%8,02617d
May14,04363%6.2%8,69416d
June14,47962%5.8%8,89317d
July14,02458%4.8%8,85419d
August13,35353%3.7%8,54522d
September14,27754%3.7%8,95722d
October14,22553%3.5%8,39223d
November13,50152%3.4%6,70623d
December12,61749%3.1%4,52225d

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Melanie Tan
Melanie Tan
DRE #02250755
“I help Bay Area buyers and sellers make confident moves with the latest market data, real local expertise, and the patience to find what's actually right for you, not the fastest close.”
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