The October 2026 edition of The GPSR Desert Housing Report is now available, and it offers a clear picture of where the Coachella Valley housing market stands as we head into the 2026–2027 season. Below is a summary of the key findings, along with my perspective on what they mean for buyers and sellers across the desert. Full credit for this report goes to the Franklin Loam Center; the complete 33-page report is linked at the end of this post.

Prices: A Modest Year-Over-Year Softening

  • The median price of a detached home in the Coachella Valley ended October at $610,000, down 2.9% from last year.
  • The median price of an attached home (condominiums and townhomes) closed the month at $410,000, down 2.4%.
  • Performance varies considerably by city. For average-size detached homes, year-over-year changes ranged from +7.1% in Indian Wells to −7.4% in Palm Desert. For attached homes, the range ran from +14.4% in Desert Hot Springs to −7.9% in Indio.

Sales Volume: Still Below Historic Norms

  • The three-month average of sales in October was 471 units per month, compared with 547 units a year ago.
  • The twelve-month average, which removes seasonal swings, was 602 units per month.
  • Palm Desert led the Valley with 96 sales, followed by Palm Springs (88) and Indio (80).
  • Average monthly dollar volume was $367 million, compared with $437 million last October.
  • The report's Sales Recovery Chart shows Valley sales running approximately 27% below the 2016–2019 baseline, a level that has held fairly steady since late 2023.

Inventory and Months of Sales: A Balanced Market

  • Total Valley inventory at month's end was 3,213 homes, essentially unchanged (−0.1%) from last year.
  • The Valley's months-of-sales ratio was 5.3 months, up just 0.1 month year over year. A regional ratio under 6.0 months indicates a balanced market.
  • Bermuda Dunes had the highest ratio at 9.5 months, while Coachella had the lowest at 2.8 months.

Selling Times

  • The median time on market was 53 days, six days faster than a year ago.
  • Desert Hot Springs homes sold fastest at 38 days, followed by Cathedral City at 40 days.
  • Indian Wells recorded the longest median selling time at 66 days.

Pricing Versus List Price

  • Detached homes are selling at an average of 2.8% below list price, compared with 2.4% a year ago. Attached homes are selling at 3.7% below list.
  • Desert Hot Springs has the smallest average discount (1.0%), while Indian Wells has the largest (4.5%).
  • 10.7% of homes sold above list price, compared with 12.2% last year.

What This Means for You

For buyers: With inventory steady, prices modestly lower than last year, and sellers accepting slightly larger discounts from list price, today's market rewards well-prepared buyers. Negotiating room exists, particularly in higher-end communities such as Indian Wells, where homes are taking longer to sell.

For sellers: The market remains balanced, and well-presented homes continue to sell, with median market times actually improving year over year. Accurate pricing from the outset is essential; with only about one in ten homes selling above list, an overreaching price is more likely to lengthen time on market than to yield a premium.

Every community in the Valley behaves differently, and the numbers for La Quinta, Indian Wells, or Palm Desert can tell a very different story than the regional average. If you would like a tailored analysis of your neighborhood or a specific property, I would be pleased to help.

Read the full report: The GPSR Desert Housing Report – October 2026

Report courtesy of the Franklin Loam Center. Figures reflect data downloaded the morning after month end and exclude late-entry sales, which are incorporated into the following month's report.

Mark Wasserman
Equity Union Luxury Properties | CA DRE #01895485
760.397.3270 | mark247re@gmail.com