Higher rates have not stopped one of Irvine's busiest segments
Rates matter. But they do not always stop buyers. Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025. Yet in ZIP 92620, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 115 pending sales in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 23.7% from the same period a year before. Buyers are still moving.
Speed tells the same story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 27.8% of homes in 92620 went under contract within two weeks of listing. That share rose 7.4 points from a year before. Nearly 3 in 10 homes found a buyer fast, even with rates above 7%.
Prices did dip a little. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in 92620 at $1,615,000, down 7.4% from a year before. So buyers are getting slightly more for their money. Sellers are still closing deals, just at a modestly lower number.
How the rest of Irvine looks
Not every ZIP code moved the same way. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 171 homes sold in 92618, the busiest ZIP by volume. Pending sales there came in at 174, though that was down 2.8% from a year before. Days on market fell 10 days to 60. Supply tightened too, down 13.8% in homes for sale.
ZIP 92603 showed the sharpest price gain. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price there at $2,750,000, up 27.9% year over year. Homes sold rose 50%. Pending sales jumped 65.7%. That segment moved, even at those price points.
ZIP 92604 told a quieter story. Homes sold fell 27.3%, and days on market stretched 13 days longer. Still, 34.9% of homes there went under contract within two weeks, up 8.8 points. The segment that did sell, sold quickly.
| 92620 | 92618 | 92603 | 92604 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,615,000 | $1,475,000 | $2,750,000 | $1,380,000 |
| Homes sold | 98 | 171 | 51 | 32 |
| Pending sales | 115 | 174 | 58 | 43 |
| Median days on market | 44 | 60 | 56 | 57 |
| Under contract within 2 weeks | 27.8% | 16.7% | 20.7% | 34.9% |
What the national picture adds
Nationally, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Realtor.com noted that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September, the highest share since October 2022. Irvine is not immune to that pressure. Some ZIP codes here did see prices ease.
CNBC reported that a monthly payment on a median-priced home took up roughly 33% of a median family's income in 2025. That was 26% in 2022. Buyers feel that. It explains why some parts of Irvine moved slower, even as others stayed busy.
- Rates above 7% did slow some corners of Irvine.
- Prices dipped in several ZIP codes.
- But in 92620, 115 pending sales and 27.8% of homes under contract within two weeks show that prepared sellers still found buyers.
- One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it.
Your next step
(949) 482-5505Text me your address and I will send back how the pending sales pace in your part of Irvine compares with what actually sold near you. Takes a day, costs nothing.
Text me- Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for ZIPs 92602, 92603, 92604, 92606, 92612, 92614, 92618 and 92620, the three months ending August 31, 2026, compared with the same months of 2025. Real Estate Data Aggregator last updated them on Oct 7, 2026.
- Federal Housing Finance Agency: FHFA House Price Index® Up 0.3 Percent in July; Up 2.6 Percent from Last Year | FHFA, Sep 29, 2026
- Redfin: U.S. Home Prices Ticked Up 0.25% in September, Oct 20, 2026
- Realtor.com: September 2026 Monthly Housing Trends: Price Cuts Hit 4-Year Highs as Mortgage Rates Top 7%, Sep 30, 2026
- Realtor.com: September 2026 Rental Report: Median Asking Rent Declines at the Slowest Pace in 3 Years, Oct 15, 2026
- CNBC: Trump's executive order targets mortgage insurance, refinance costs. What it means for borrowers, Oct 23, 2026
- No Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for 92616, so this part is from websites alone.
- No Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for 92617, so this part is from websites alone.
- No Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for 92619, so this part is from websites alone.
- No Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for 92623, so this part is from websites alone.
- No Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for 92697, so this part is from websites alone.
- No Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for 92710, so this part is from websites alone.