Photo: Eli Pousson · CC BY-SA 2.0797 homes sold in Lake Forest in the last year, at a typical $1.2M
About one sale in 3 is a condo. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Lake Forest homes are listed.
Every place Lake Forest homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Lake Forest.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
A quarter of Lake Forest’s sales are condos, at $741K less than a house
516 houses and 225 condos sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 516 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $659CA $494
- Days to sell
- 54
- Sold over asking
- 31%
- Listings with a price cut
- 26%
typical sale · 225 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $609CA $561
- Days to sell
- 54
- Sold over asking
- 28%
- Listings with a price cut
- 25%
Multi-family (2–4 units): 2 sold, typical $1.7M
Townhouses: 54 sold, typical $802K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
Fewer homes sell than before 2022, at twice the 2016 price
797 sales in the last year, against 1,458 in 2021 and a low of 745 in 2024. The typical sale went from $603K in 2016 to $1.2M.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $1.2M buys in Lake Forest
Check a listing against what Lake Forest homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Lake Forest are back to pre-pandemic levels, with about as many homes for sale
We read every month of Lake Forest’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 797 sales.
If you’re buying in Lake Forest
- Shop in August. It brings about 108 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (36% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 26% of listings have cut their price, against 22% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99% of the list price on average; 30% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 30% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 52 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 124 a month), but June is the most competitive: 49% of June sales close over asking. August offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (36%). January has the least competition (34%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Lake Forest now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 30% | 31% | 67% | 36% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 30% | 36% | 65% | 31% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 26% | 22% | 12% | 24% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99% | 99.4% | 102.6% | 99.7% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 52 | 48 | 30 | 44 |
205 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 2.2 times the 2013 low (94), 13% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2019’s 274.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
26% in the last year, against 22% in 2017–19 and 24% across California.
Since 2019, houses are up 73%, condos 58%
A house typically sold for $1.4M in the last year (516 sales), a condo for $633K (225).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Lake Forest ranks 371st of 555 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Lake Forest is in the middle of the pack.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Lake Forest home costs about $6,835 a month
Price: Lake Forest’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Lake Forest’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Lake Forest is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 45.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $1.2M home, about $7,390 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Lake Forest, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Lake ForestTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Lake Forest.
Work & commuteCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Laguna Woods sells for less a square foot; Irvine for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Lake Forest, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irvine | 1,997 | $1.5M | $804 | 17% | 61 |
| Mission Viejo | 950 | $1.2M | $646 | 31% | 45 |
| Lake Forest | 797 | $1.2M | $634 | 30% | 52 |
| Laguna Woods | 627 | $438K | $412 | 21% | 66 |
| Rancho Santa Margarita | 479 | $1.1M | $626 | 24% | 56 |
| Laguna Hills | 244 | $1.2M | $660 | 32% | 51 |
| Las Flores | 44 | $1.3M | $642 | 39% | 49 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Lake Forest, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Lake Forest. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Lake Forest with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Lake Forest
What do homes sell for in Lake Forest, CA?
797 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $1.2M, $634 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.4M, condos for about $633K.
Is Lake Forest a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 212 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 73 sold, about 2.9 months of supply. Buyers paid 99% of asking on average, and 26% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Lake Forest?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Lake Forest?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $1.2M home that’s near $7,390.
Where can I see homes for sale in Lake Forest?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Lake Forest’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Lake Forest.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).