The 2026 Market Isn’t What You Think
Every June, I get a wave of calls from military families who just got orders and are trying to figure out whether to sell. And every year, they come in with the same assumption: either the market is hot and they'll be fine, or the market is slow and they should wait.
In 2026, neither of those is quite right — and that distinction matters a lot for how you approach a PCS sale.
Here's what's actually happening in San Diego right now, and what it means for military homeowners making decisions this summer.
The Market Has Split — And Which Side You're On Changes Everything
San Diego doesn't have one market right now. It has two.
Single-family homes are holding strong. The median price for a San Diego single-family home hit $1,090,000 in early 2026 — up nearly 2% year over year. Demand is real. Well-priced, move-in-ready homes in military-accessible neighborhoods are still moving quickly and attracting multiple offers.
Condos and townhomes are a different story. Townhome prices have dropped over 5% in the past year. Condo prices are down nearly 2%. And because a large percentage of military homeowners near bases like NAS North Island, 32nd Street, Miramar, and Pendleton bought condos or townhomes — this is the number that actually matters for most of my clients.
If you don't know which category your home falls into, or what your neighborhood is doing specifically, you're making decisions blind.
More Inventory Means More Competition
Here's the other shift that doesn't get enough attention: San Diego inventory in 2026 is at its highest level since the pandemic-era recession. More homes on the market means your listing is competing against more choices.
That doesn't mean you can't sell well. It means you can't afford to be lazy about it.
Overpriced homes are sitting. Homes that need work are sitting. Homes with weak photos and no strategy are sitting. "A" homes — well-located, well-prepared, correctly priced — are still moving fast.
For military sellers, this is critical because you often don't have time to recover from a slow start. If orders have dropped, you're working against the clock. You don't get to take it off the market, regroup, and relist without consequences.
Your VA Loan Is a Listing Advantage — If You Use It
This is the part most agents miss entirely.
If you bought your San Diego home in 2020, 2021, or 2022 with a VA loan, there's a good chance your interest rate is somewhere between 2.5% and 3.5%. That rate is assumable. And in a market where buyers are financing at 6.5–7%, an assumable loan at that rate is worth real money — sometimes tens of thousands of dollars in buyer savings over the life of the loan.
That means your home has a feature most listings in San Diego don't have. It can be marketed differently. It can attract a specific pool of VA-eligible buyers who understand exactly what they're getting. In a higher-inventory environment where buyers have more choices, that's a competitive edge that can justify your price and shorten your time on market.
Most sellers don't even realize this is on the table. Most listing agents don't know how to execute it. I do — it's a significant part of what I specialize in.
What This Means If You Have PCS Orders Right Now
If orders have dropped — or you know they're coming — here's what the current market demands:
Know your real number. The condo/SFH split, your specific neighborhood, and your condition relative to competing listings all determine your outcome. A generic Zillow estimate won't tell you what a military buyer will actually pay for your home this summer.
Don't assume you're too late. June and July PCS sellers can absolutely close before they need to report. I've managed remote sales — offers, inspections, negotiations, closing — for sellers who were already at their next duty station. It's entirely doable with the right systems in place.
Prepare the home, not just the listing. In a competitive inventory environment, the homes that sell fast are the ones that are ready. That means upfront consultation on what's worth addressing and what's not — not a last-minute scramble.
Use your VA loan as a marketing asset. If your rate is sub-4%, it needs to be in your listing description and actively communicated to buyer's agents. It's not a detail. It's a headline.
The Bottom Line
San Diego is still a strong market for sellers — but it's not forgiving of bad strategy the way 2021 and 2022 were. If your home is a condo or townhome, you need to price it correctly from day one. If you have an assumable VA loan, you need an agent who knows how to leverage it. And if you have PCS orders, you need someone who can execute a remote sale without drama.
I've done this hundreds of times. I know what this market is doing neighborhood by neighborhood, and I know what military buyers are actually looking for this summer.
If you want to know what your home is worth and what your options are before you decide anything — start with a free home valuation by texting, emailing or calling me.
No obligation. No pressure. Just a clear picture so you can make the right call for your family.
Alexis "Lexie" Dindal | Compass Military Division | San Diego 619-721-7868 | Lexie.Dindal@compass.com DRE# AB066667; MSLRA021 | Military Relocation Specialist | VA Loan & Assumption Expert
