Welcome to the first edition of my monthly market update, written for the neighbors I see on Dana Avenue walks, at the Rose Garden library and in line for coffee on The Alameda. Every month I will break down what is actually happening with home sales in Santa Clara County, in San Jose and right here in the Rose Garden, in plain language and with the sources linked so you can check the numbers yourself. If you are thinking about selling in the next year, or you are simply curious what your home might be worth, this is the place to start.
The county picture: steady prices, fewer sales
The headline for Santa Clara County this summer is stability. According to the California Association of REALTORS, the median price for a single-family home in the county was $1,900,000 in August 2026, unchanged from a year earlier. The Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS reported a similar picture with a median of $1,850,000, down 1.6% from last August.
What did change is the number of homes changing hands. SCCAOR counted 624 single-family sales in August, down 13.6% from the year before. C.A.R. put the county's unsold inventory index at 2.1 months, which means that if no new listings came on, the current supply would sell out in about two months. Anything under three months is still considered a seller-friendly market, and Silicon Valley remains well inside that range.
For context, the statewide median was $901,420 in August, and the 30-year fixed mortgage rate averaged 6.67% for the month, according to C.A.R. Rates in that range keep some buyers cautious, but they have not pushed prices down in our county the way many predicted.
San Jose: half of homes still sell over asking
Across all home types in San Jose, Redfin reports a median sale price of about $1.40 million in August 2026, down 3.6% from a year earlier. Homes sold in a median of 21 days, and the average home sold for 101.5% of its list price. Most telling, 49.8% of San Jose homes sold above list price.
That combination tells a clear story. Buyers are a little more price sensitive than they were a year ago, but well-prepared homes that are priced right are still drawing multiple offers. The homes that sit are usually the ones that came on too high or without the preparation today's buyers expect.
The Rose Garden: a small neighborhood with a big price tag
The Rose Garden is a small market, so monthly numbers swing a lot and should be read with care. Redfin's July 2026 snapshot shows a median sale price of about $2.55 million on just 6 sales, with homes taking a median of 42 days to sell and closing at 101.8% of list price on average. A handful of sales can move those figures dramatically from month to month, which is why a home-by-home comparison is far more useful than any neighborhood average.
What has not changed is why people want to live here. Tree-lined streets, classic 1920s and 1930s architecture, the Municipal Rose Garden, the Rosicrucian Park, the shops and restaurants along The Alameda and Lincoln Avenue, and an easy hop to downtown, Santana Row and the tech campuses keep demand steady even when the wider market cools.
What this means if you are thinking about selling
Fall is often an underrated time to sell in Silicon Valley. There is less competition from other listings than in spring, and the buyers who are out in October and November tend to be serious, often relocating for work or trying to settle in before the new year. With roughly two months of inventory in the county, a well-presented Rose Garden home can still stand out.
The flip side is that pricing matters more than it did during the frenzy years. Homes that are priced from real, recent neighborhood comparables and that show beautifully online are the ones getting over-asking offers. Homes that test the market with an ambitious price tend to sit, and a home that sits often ends up selling for less than it would have with the right price on day one.
If you are planning a move in 2027, now is a great time to start the conversation. A few small updates this winter, like fresh paint, landscaping touch-ups and a pre-listing inspection, can make a meaningful difference when you are ready to list in the spring.
Curious what your home is worth?
Every home in the Rose Garden is different, and an average will never tell you what yours would sell for. Request your free, no-obligation home value report and I will put together a personalized analysis based on recent sales on your street and in the surrounding neighborhood. [Get my free home value report]
