Harv Balu's blog

The Newark housing market just posted its August 2026 numbers. The median sale jumped, but price per foot fell again, and those two moves tell different stories if you are buying or selling. Here is where things stand for single family homes, citywide.

• Median sold price: $1,465,000, up 10.6% from July.
• But price per square foot fell 10.7% to $708, a third straight monthly drop. The higher median most likely reflects larger homes trading, not a citywide jump in value.
• Closed sales softened: they averaged 99.4% of list, just under asking, after a median of 27 days on market, up from 18....

The Hayward housing market just posted its August 2026 numbers. It is still a seller's
market, but three things moved underneath the headline, and each one matters if you are buying or selling.
Here is where things stand for single family homes, citywide.

• Median sold price: $935,000, up 5.6% from July.
• But price per square foot fell 8.2% to $608, so the higher median reflects larger homes trading, not a citywide jump in value.
• Sold to list: 102.2% of list price, in a median of 16 days.
• Supply: 2.38 months of inventory, steady on the month but 17.8%...