By Robert Ramirez, Truvi Realty
Every year, buyers ask me whether they should wait for spring. It is a fair question, because spring is when listings multiply and so does the crowd at open houses. But for many Los Banos buyers, October through December is the quieter and more workable stretch. Here is how I think about it, with the numbers as they stand right now.
As of mid-October 2026, Resideline's tracking for the 93635 ZIP code shows a median sold price of about $465,000 over the last six months, based on roughly 238 closed sales. The middle half of those sales fell between about $412,000 and $525,000. That spread matters more than the single median: it tells you the market covers a lot of ground, from older, smaller homes to newer construction.
The same source lists around 43 active listings and a median asking price near $466,000. Zooming out, FRED data for Merced County shows the median listing price climbing from roughly $437,000 in March to about $451,000 in August. Different sources measure different things, so treat all of these as estimates rather than exact figures. The takeaway is that prices have been steady to gently rising, not falling off a cliff and not spiking.
Fewer buyers are out shopping once school is back in session and the holidays approach. That does not guarantee a discount, and I would be wary of anyone promising one. What it often does is give you more time to look at a home, room to ask for repairs or credits instead of fighting multiple offers, and sellers who listed in fall tend to have a real reason to sell. Seasonal patterns are general, though, and each house and each seller is different.
Fall is also a good time to see a home honestly. You can check how it handles cooler evenings, how the heating works, and whether the roof and drainage are in good shape before the rainy months test them.
Get your financing in order first. A pre-approval from a lender, not just a pre-qualification, lets you move quickly when the right home shows up. Rates move with the broader economy, so ask your lender for current numbers rather than relying on headlines.
Look at days on the market. A home that has sat for a while may have more room for negotiation than one listed last week. Ask about the history, including any price changes.
Do not skip the inspection. Central Valley homes can have their own quirks, from older HVAC systems to settling and drainage questions. If you are weighing a new build against resale, my earlier post on that topic walks through the tradeoffs.
Finally, plan your timeline backward. A typical purchase takes around 30 to 45 days to close, so if you want to be settled before the holidays, the time to start looking is now rather than in November.
Market figures are drawn from Resideline (ZIP 93635, as of Oct. 12, 2026) and FRED/Realtor.com county data. They are estimates and sample-based, not official statistics, and conditions change.