April 2026 Market Update | South Santa Barbara County
April kept the spring momentum going! 135 homes sold across South Santa Barbara County, up 6% from last year, and Montecito had one of the biggest sales we've seen in a long time. That one sale did some funny things to the averages, so let's dig in.
Here's the whole picture:
Highs and Lows of the Month's Sales
Highest Sale: 2910 Sycamore Canyon Road in Montecito closed at $59,881,000
Lowest Sale: 5510 Armitos Avenue Apt 4 in Goleta closed at $565,000
Sales Trends and Cash Transactions
Total Sales: 135 closings (up 6% YoY)
Single Family Homes: 99 sold (up 5%)
Condos/PUDs: 36 sold (up 9%)
Cash Sales: 39% of all transactions
Sold Over Asking: 23% of homes
Almost a quarter of homes sold over asking, which tells you buyers are still competing for the right home.
Average Days on Market
Single Family: 44 days
Condos/PUDs: 28 days
Inventory
2.90 months of supply. The tightest it's been all year, and still well under the six-month mark that would signal a true buyer's market.
Pricing Snapshot
Single Family Homes:
Average Price: $4,533,360 (up 41% YoY)
Median Price: $2,030,000 (down 7% YoY)
Condos/PUDs:
Average Price: $1,117,974 (down 23% YoY)
Median Price: $965,000 (down 8% YoY)
Here's the nuance: the single family average jumped 41% while the median went down. That's the $59.9 million Sycamore Canyon sale at work! Averages get pulled around by big outliers, which is why I always look at the median too. Montecito was strong overall, with 18 single family sales and a median of $7,837,500. Hope Ranch's median was $8,500,000 on 5 sales. Closer to the middle of the market, Santa Barbara's single family median was $1,860,000 and Goleta's was $1,581,000.
Year to Date
Through April, 462 homes have sold in South County, up 5% from last year. The year-to-date single family median is $2,115,000 (down 20%), the condo median is $1,035,000 (down 12%), and 40% of sales have been all cash.
Market Stability & What's Ahead
For sellers: Condos moved fast this month (28 days on average!), and well-priced homes in every price range are finding buyers. Pricing for today's market, not last year's headlines, is what gets you there.
For buyers: With inventory this tight and nearly a quarter of homes going over asking, it pays to be ready to act when the right home comes up.
If you want to talk through what this means for your home or your search, I'm always here to help!
Sources: Fidelity National Title / Chicago Title Santa Barbara INdata reports and Santa Barbara Association of REALTORS® data. Information deemed reliable but not guaranteed.
