Tri-Valley Real Estate Market Update: September 2026

As we move into fall, the Tri-Valley real estate market is showing an interesting split: single-family homes remain relatively tight, while condos are giving buyers more room to negotiate.

The latest August data for Alameda and Contra Costa Counties gives us a useful look at the broader local market heading into September. Single-family inventory remains below last year, homes are selling faster than they did a year ago, and months of supply remains below the level typically associated with a balanced market.

Condos tell a different story, with more than four months of supply in both counties and longer marketing times in several areas.

For buyers and sellers in Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and surrounding Tri-Valley communities, that distinction is important. The market isn't moving as one group—and the type of property you're looking at can change the conversation considerably.

The Local Lowdown: Single-Family Prices Remain Steady

In Alameda County, the median single-family home sale price reached $1,269,000 in August, up 0.71% from $1,260,000 a year earlier. The median was essentially unchanged from July's $1,270,000.

Contra Costa County recorded a median single-family sale price of $865,000, up 2.98% from $840,000 last August and also flat compared with July.

For the Tri-Valley, Alameda County's numbers are particularly relevant because Pleasanton, Livermore, and Dublin are all within the county.

The bigger takeaway isn't that prices are surging. They're holding relatively steady.

That's meaningful heading into fall. After the stronger activity typically seen during the spring and early summer, the market is naturally becoming more seasonal. But the latest numbers don't show a broad decline in single-family values across the local counties.

Instead, buyers are still competing for a relatively limited supply of detached homes.

Inventory Is Still One of the Most Important Local Stories

Inventory continues to separate the single-family market from the condo market.

In August, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties had 2,662 single-family homes for sale, down 16.68% from the 3,195 available at the same time last year.

That is a substantial year-over-year reduction.

Interestingly, new single-family listings actually increased 3.76% year over year to 1,792. The issue isn't simply that homeowners aren't listing. There were more new listings—but 1,230 single-family homes sold during the month, helping keep the available inventory pool relatively tight.

For buyers, this means that having more choices than during the most competitive periods doesn't necessarily mean every home is negotiable.

A well-priced home in a desirable Pleasanton, Livermore, or Dublin neighborhood can still attract attention quickly.

For sellers, it reinforces something we've seen throughout the year: pricing and presentation matter. Buyers have more information at their fingertips, and they can compare your home against the other properties available right now.

Are Single-Family Homes Still in a Seller's Market?

By the traditional months-of-supply measurement, yes—the local single-family market remains on the seller side of the three-month benchmark.

Alameda County ended August at 1.9 months of supply, down from 2.3 months a year earlier.

Contra Costa County was at 2.4 months, compared with 2.9 months last August.

For buyers, that doesn't mean they should expect every home to receive multiple offers. Instead, it means the overall supply of detached homes remains relatively limited.

That distinction is important in a market as varied as the Tri-Valley.

A renovated home in a sought-after Pleasanton neighborhood may have a very different buyer response than a home that needs significant work. A larger Livermore property can attract a different buyer pool from a smaller Dublin home. Even homes within the same neighborhood can perform differently depending on condition, price, lot size, and presentation.

That is why we continue to look at the individual property, not just the market headline.

What About the Condo Market?

The condo market is telling a different story. Alameda County condos had a median sale price of $562,500 in August, up 2.37% year over year and 1.72% from July.

Contra Costa County condos, meanwhile, had a median sale price of $444,950, down 12.75% from last August and 5.63% from July.

Inventory also remains much higher relative to sales.

There were 934 condos for sale across the two counties in August, down 9.58% from last year and 10.71% from July.

So while inventory has declined, condos still have considerably more supply relative to demand than single-family homes.

Why Are Condos Behaving Differently?

The months-of-supply numbers help explain the difference. Alameda County condos finished August at 4.1 months of supply, while Contra Costa County condos were at 4.0 months. Both are above the roughly three-month level generally used to describe a balanced market.

Days on market also show the difference. Alameda County condos averaged 32 days on market in August, compared with 38 days a year earlier. Contra Costa County condos also averaged 32 days, although that was longer than the 26 days recorded last August.

For condo buyers, this can create more opportunity to compare properties and negotiate.

For condo sellers, it makes accurate pricing especially important. Buyers have more alternatives, so the condition, location, HOA costs, features, and price of a particular unit all become part of the equation.

What Does September's Market Mean for Tri-Valley Buyers and Sellers?

For buyers considering Pleasanton, Livermore, or Dublin, the latest numbers suggest that property type matters just as much as location.

If you're shopping for a single-family home, supply remains relatively limited. That can make preparation important before making an offer, particularly when a home is priced appropriately and has strong location or condition advantages.

If you're shopping for a condo, the higher months of supply may provide more time to compare options and evaluate value.

For sellers, the message is similarly property-specific.

A seller shouldn't assume that last year's price—or even a nearby home's recent sale—is automatically the right benchmark. Current competing listings, recent comparable sales, days on market, condition, lot size, and buyer demand all need to be considered.

That's something we emphasized in our August market update, and the latest September data continues to support that approach.

The Park46 Perspective

The September market isn't defined by one dramatic shift. Instead, the latest local data shows a market where single-family homes remain relatively supply-constrained while condos offer buyers more room to evaluate their options.

For Tri-Valley homeowners, that makes local context especially important.

A citywide or countywide statistic can tell us where the market is moving, but it can't tell you exactly how your home will perform. The neighborhood, property type, condition, lot, pricing, and current competition all matter.

That's why we believe market data is most useful when it is paired with local knowledge.

If you're thinking about buying, selling, or simply keeping an eye on what's happening around you, explore the neighborhoods throughout the Tri-Valley and see how different communities compare.

At Park46 Real Estate, we work throughout Pleasanton, Livermore, Dublin, and the surrounding Tri-Valley, helping clients understand not only what the market is doing, but what those numbers mean for the property and neighborhood they're actually considering.