Bottom Line Up Front
Only 5 detached homes closed in San Diego Country Estates in September 2026, down from 10 in August and 14 a year ago. With 38 homes listed, months supply of inventory jumped from 3.7 to 7.6 on the standard monthly measure.
That jump comes from fewer closings, not from more listings or falling prices. Active listings barely moved, and median price per square foot rose from $338 to $351. September had fewer buyers, not cheaper homes. On five sales I am not calling a turn, and the nine homes in escrow heading into October suggest the slow month may not repeat.
What sold in SDCE in September 2026
Five detached homes closed in San Diego Country Estates between September 1 and September 30, 2026. The price range was $679,900 to $980,000, and for the second straight month nothing closed above $1 million.
Here is the snapshot of the month, with comparison to August 2026 for context.
| Metric | August 2026 | September 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Detached homes closed | 10 | 5 |
| Median sold price | $847,000 | $818,000 |
| Average sold price | $848,600 | $844,380 |
| Median price per square foot | $338 | $351 |
| Median days on market | 21 | 30 |
| Median sold-to-list price ratio | 99.2% | 99.8% |
| Sold at or above asking | 3 of 10 | 2 of 5 |
| Active listings | 37 | 38 |
| Months supply of inventory | 3.7 | 7.6 |
Reading between the numbers
The median sold price fell from $847,000 to $818,000, about 3.4 percent. Last month the median rose while price per square foot fell. This month the reverse happened. Median price per square foot went from $338 to $351, and against September 2025 it is essentially flat, $351 against $354.
The reason is size again. The median home that closed in September measured 2,194 square feet, against 2,362 in August. Smaller homes sold, so the median dollar figure fell while what buyers paid per square foot rose. Two months in a row, the headline median and the per square foot price have moved in opposite directions. That is a good reminder of why price per square foot is the steadier measure.
Against September 2025 the median is up about 8 percent, from $755,000 on 14 sales. On five sales against fourteen, that comparison carries very little weight.
Negotiating leverage did not change much. The median closing came in at 99.8 percent of list, against 99.2 percent in August. Two of five sellers got asking or better, against three of ten. Sellers are still giving up a little, roughly as they did last month.
Homes took longer to sell. Median days on market rose from 21 to 30. One of the five sales went under contract the day it listed, and the other four took between 17 and 56 days. Thirty days is still a reasonable pace. The direction is the same as last month.
The honest read
The one number that moved sharply this month is the count of closings. Listings held flat, price per square foot held, and the negotiating ratios barely moved. What changed is that half as many buyers closed.
That can mean two different things. It can be a timing gap, where buyers who went under contract in late summer close in October instead of September. Or it can be the start of a real slowdown in demand. The nine homes currently in escrow point toward the first explanation, since most of them should close within the next 30 to 45 days. But five sales is too few to tell the two apart, and I would rather say that plainly than pick one.
Where September 2026 sales clustered
With five sales there is not much of a distribution to describe, but the shape is worth noting.
- One sale below $700,000
- Two sales between $769,000 and $818,000
- Two sales between $975,000 and $980,000
The average of $844,380 sits about $26,000 above the median, pulled up by the two larger homes near $1 million. Both were over 3,600 square feet, which is why they sold for the lowest prices per square foot in the group. Nothing closed above $1 million for the second month running, after three such sales in June and July.
Months supply of inventory in SDCE
Months supply of inventory tells you whether a market favors buyers or sellers. The calculation is simple: divide the current number of active listings by the monthly sales pace. The result is how long it would take to sell every currently-listed home if no new listings came on the market.
The general rule of thumb for housing markets:
- Less than 3 months: seller's market. Limited supply, buyers competing.
- 3 to 6 months: balanced market. Neither side has strong leverage.
- More than 6 months: buyer's market. Excess supply, sellers compete for buyers.
For San Diego Country Estates detached homes in September 2026:
- Active listings at month end: 38
- September closed sales: 5
- Months supply of inventory: 38 / 5 = 7.6 months
The running record is now six readings deep: 2.2 months in April, 2.6 in May, 3.6 in June, 3.7 in July, 3.7 in August, and 7.6 in September.
On its face that last reading crosses into buyer's market territory. I do not think one month earns that label, and this is exactly the situation the 4 to 6 month discipline was built for. Active listings went from 37 to 38. The entire jump came from the denominator, closings falling from 10 to 5. Measured against the average pace of the last three months, about 8 sales a month, the same 38 listings work out to roughly 4.8 months, in the upper half of balanced. The truth is probably somewhere between the two, and October's closings will narrow it down.
Fourteen of the 38 active listings have now been on the market 60 days or longer, up from 13 in August, and the median active listing has been sitting 42 days. Twenty six of the 38 are priced between $700,000 and $900,000, the heart of the community's market. Nine homes are in escrow, and seven of them are priced under $800,000.
Ramona as a whole showed the same pattern in September: closings fell sharply while listings rose, and its months supply jumped from 4.4 to 7.8. The Country Estates did not escape the slow month, but its inventory did not build the way the wider market's did.
What this means for SDCE sellers
If you are considering selling in the next 90 days, three observations from September 2026 worth carrying into your decision.
Fewer buyers means more competition for each one. Thirty eight listings against five September closings is a thin month by any measure. A buyer touring this fall has a lot of homes to compare yours against, and they will.
Prices did not fall, so you do not need to chase them down. Price per square foot held at $351, in line with last year. The homes that sold got close to their asking price. What the market punishes right now is not a fair price, it is an optimistic one. Fourteen listings past 60 days are the evidence.
Watch October before reading too much into September. Nine homes are in escrow. If most of them close, the slow month was a timing gap and months supply comes back toward the balanced range. If they do not, the softening that started with negotiating leverage in August is spreading to sales volume, and that would change my advice.
What this means for SDCE buyers
The mirror image is just as honest.
You have more choice now than at any point this year. Thirty eight homes are listed, and fourteen of them have been sitting 60 days or longer. Sellers who have watched a slow September are likely to be more open to a conversation than they were in spring.
What the data does not support is expecting a discount across the board. Price per square foot rose this month, and the median closing landed at 99.8 percent of list. Your leverage is on specific listings that have been sitting, not on the market as a whole.
How does this compare to Ramona overall?
San Diego Country Estates sits inside the broader Ramona, CA 92065 market, and comparing the two puts SDCE's numbers in context. In September 2026, Ramona-wide detached homes posted a median sold price of $824,000 across 15 closings, close to SDCE's $818,000 median on 5 sales. The Country Estates accounted for a third of Ramona's detached closings, down from close to half in August.
The two markets slowed together this month. Ramona's months supply jumped from 4.4 to 7.8 and SDCE's from 3.7 to 7.6, both driven mainly by fewer closings. The difference was speed: Ramona-wide homes that sold went under contract in a median of 8 days, and 8 of 15 sold at or above asking, against 30 days and 2 of 5 in the Country Estates. Buyers across Ramona are still moving quickly on the right house. In SDCE this month, they took their time. On five sales that contrast is thin, and one transaction moves it.
The wider Ramona report also breaks out inventory by price tier. Homes between $700,000 and $900,000 sit at roughly three and a half months supply town wide, while homes above $1.1 million are near eight months. With 26 of SDCE's 38 listings in that middle band, the town wide picture is a useful benchmark. For that breakdown and the full picture outside the Country Estates, see the September 2026 Ramona CA detached homes market analysis on Homeport Residential.
Frequently asked questions
How many homes sold in San Diego Country Estates in September 2026?
5 detached homes closed in San Diego Country Estates during September 2026, down from 10 in August and 14 in September 2025. The median sold price was $818,000 and the median days on market was 30.
What is the current months supply of inventory in SDCE?
San Diego Country Estates detached homes had 7.6 months supply of inventory at the end of September 2026, calculated as 38 active listings divided by 5 closed sales for the month. Measured against the three month average pace of 8 sales a month, the same 38 listings work out to about 4.8 months. Under 3 months is a seller's market, 3 to 6 is balanced, and above 6 favors buyers. The running record reads 2.2 in April, 2.6 in May, 3.6 in June, 3.7 in July, 3.7 in August and 7.6 in September.
Is the SDCE market getting stronger or weaker?
Softer, but September alone does not prove much. Closings fell by half while listings held flat at 38, which is why months supply jumped. Price per square foot actually rose, from $338 in August to $351, and nine homes are in escrow heading into October. Five sales is too few to call a turn, and October will show whether the slow month was a pause or a trend.
Did home prices fall in San Diego Country Estates in September 2026?
No. The median fell from $847,000 to $818,000, but the typical home that sold was smaller. Median price per square foot rose from $338 to $351, in line with $354 a year earlier. Values held. The number of buyers is what dropped.
What was the price range of SDCE detached home sales in September 2026?
September 2026 detached sales in SDCE ranged from $679,900 to $980,000. The median was $818,000 and the average was $844,380. Nothing closed above $1 million for a second straight month.
Should I list my SDCE home now or wait?
That depends on your situation. September showed fewer buyers, not lower prices, and the nine pending sales suggest October will be busier. The honest broker answer is that a correctly priced home still sells, but an overpriced one now competes with 38 other listings and a slower month of buyers. It comes down to your own timing and your home's position in the market.
Want a straight read on your specific situation?
The numbers in this report are averages. Your home is not an average. I will give you an honest assessment of where your property sits in the current SDCE market, including telling you if waiting makes more sense than listing.