Laguna Niguel Is the Only City Still Adding Inventory: Coastal Orange County Market Update, August 17, 2026

By Missy Wiesen, REALTOR® | Certified Negotiation Expert | Serhant California, Inc.

TL;DR

Combined active inventory across Newport Beach, Corona del Mar, Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel, and Dana Point slipped again as of August 17, pending sales rose for a second straight snapshot, and Laguna Niguel became the only one of the five markets still adding listings.

What's Happening in the Coastal Orange County Housing Market Right Now?

As of August 17, 2026, combined active inventory across the five cities stood at 734 listings, down from 750 on August 10. Over the same week, pending sales rose from 194 to 214, and Missy Wiesen's local mortgage rate tracking held essentially flat at 6.73%, down a hair from 6.74%. This is the second snapshot in a row where inventory has eased while pending sales climbed, suggesting last week's shift wasn't a one-off blip.

Is Laguna Niguel Really the Only City Still Adding Listings?

Yes. Laguna Niguel's active count rose from 159 to 163, a 2.5% increase, while every other city pulled back: Corona del Mar fell 7.1% (70 to 65), Dana Point fell 5.4% (111 to 105), Newport Beach fell 2.5% (237 to 231), and Laguna Beach fell 1.7% (173 to 170). Laguna Niguel is now the lone outlier adding supply while the rest of the market tightens.

Why Are Pending Sales Still Climbing Even With Fewer New Listings?

Combined pending sales rose 10.3%, from 194 to 214, in one week. Corona del Mar posted the sharpest increase, up 15.8% from 19 to 22, followed by Laguna Niguel, up 14.3% from 49 to 56, and Newport Beach, up 11.4% from 70 to 78. Dana Point was the exception, slipping 3.7% from 27 to 26. Rising pending activity in four of five cities, even as three of those same cities lost active inventory, points to real buyer follow-through rather than just fewer new listings hitting the market.

What Happened With Mortgage Rates?

Missy's own weekly tracking shows 6.73% as of August 17, down slightly from 6.74% on August 10, essentially a flat week after August 10's pullback from 6.80% in late July. Rates have now held in a tight band for three straight snapshots, which is likely part of why pending activity has kept climbing instead of stalling.

Are Homes Still Selling Close to Asking Price?

Yes. Homes that sold in the last 30 days within 15 days of listing closed at an average of 99.76% of list price as of August 17, while homes that sat longer than 30 days before selling closed at 97.38%, a gap of about 2.4 points. Dana Point stood out here: every home it sold within 15 days closed at exactly 100% of list price, the strongest read of any of the five cities.

Why Is Dana Point's Stale Inventory Piling Up Even as Its Active Count Shrinks?

Dana Point's active listings fell from 111 to 105 over the week, but its count of listings sitting 30 or more days on market rose from 64 to 73, a 14% jump. That combination, a shrinking active pool with a growing stale share, usually means new, well-priced listings are moving quickly while older, overpriced ones are getting left behind rather than repriced. Dana Point also led the group in cash activity, with 25 of its 42 sales in the trailing 30 days closing in cash.

How Did Active Pricing Move Across the Five Cities?

Newport Beach's active median price rose 8.3%, from $4,800,000 to $5,200,000, and Laguna Beach edged up 0.8% to $4,824,500, while Laguna Niguel eased 1.0% to $1,480,000 and Dana Point dipped 1.8% to $2,450,000. Corona del Mar held essentially flat at $5,600,000. With active counts in the 65-to-231 range per city, a handful of new luxury listings can move a median without reflecting a broader repricing.

Which City Looks Tightest Right Now?

Dana Point, by the numbers that matter most to a seller. Its homes sold within 15 days closed at 100% of list price, its cash share was the highest of any city, and it posted 20 sales in the trailing two weeks, the most of any of the five markets even as its own active supply keeps shrinking.

How Much of the Recent Market Is Cash?

Across the five cities, 87 of the sales closed in the trailing 30 days were cash transactions as of August 17. Dana Point and Newport Beach carried the largest cash counts relative to their sales volume, while Corona del Mar and Laguna Beach ran closer to an even split between cash and financed buyers.

What Does This Mean If You're Selling This Fall?

Momentum is still building in sellers' favor. Pending sales have now risen for two consecutive snapshots, four of five cities are seeing more offers accepted week over week, and homes selling quickly are closing right at or above asking price. Laguna Niguel's added supply is worth watching if you're listing there, but everywhere else, competition for a well-priced home has only gotten tighter. For more on positioning a fall listing, see "Timing the Market: When to Sell in Coastal Orange County."

What Does This Mean If You're Buying Right Now?

Outside of Laguna Niguel, inventory keeps shrinking while more of it moves into contract each week, a combination that favors sellers in negotiations. Dana Point buyers in particular should expect fast-moving, well-priced listings to draw cash competition. Buyers weighing timing can find "Is It Better to Buy Now or Wait in Coastal Orange County?" a useful next read.

Should You Wait for Rates to Drop Further Before Buying or Selling?

Rates have barely moved across three straight snapshots, so waiting on a rate drop hasn't cost buyers anything the last few weeks, but it also hasn't created any new opportunity. What has moved is pending activity, up two snapshots running, and city-by-city inventory, which is now diverging sharply between Laguna Niguel and the other four markets. Those shifts are measurable today in a way a future rate move isn't.

Conclusion

Coastal Orange County's market on August 17 looks tighter than it did a week ago in four of five cities, with Laguna Niguel the lone exception still adding supply. Pending sales have now climbed for two snapshots in a row, and Dana Point's fast-selling homes are closing at full asking price even as its own stale inventory grows.

If you want a read on what these numbers mean for your specific city, price range, or timeline, Missy Wiesen can walk you through the current data before you make your next move.

Missy Wiesen | Coastal Orange County REALTOR® | Serhant California, Inc.

949-887-6644 | realtormissy3@gmail.com | www.MissySellsOC.com