155 homes sold in Lake San Marcos in the last year, at a typical $956K
Houses and condos split the market almost evenly. 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 San Marcos homes are listed.
Every place Lake San Marcos 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 San Marcos.
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.
40% of Lake San Marcos’ sales are condos, at $515K less than a house
94 houses and 63 condos sold in the year to May 2026. Condos sell faster.
typical sale · 94 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $656CA $494
- Days to sell
- 47
- Sold over asking
- 20%
- Listings with a price cut
- 37%
typical sale · 63 sold in the year to May 2026
- Per square foot
- $526CA $561
- Days to sell
- 36
- Sold over asking
- 17%
- Listings with a price cut
- 29%
Townhouses: 2 sold, typical $785K
Too few sales in 12 months for reliable figures.
About as many homes sell as usual, at twice the 2016 price
155 sales in the last year, against 187 in 2017 and a low of 132 in 2023. The typical sale went from $484K in 2016 to $956K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales. Redfin stopped publishing towns’ figures by property type after May 2026, so houses and condos are shown for the year to then.
What $950K buys in Lake San Marcos
Check a listing against what Lake San Marcos 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 San Marcos are rarer than before the pandemic, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Lake San Marcos’ 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 September 2026, 155 sales.
If you’re buying in Lake San Marcos
- Shop in September. It brings about 15 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (19% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.1% of the list price on average; 15% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 29% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 43 days.
Summer brings the homes; spring brings the bidding wars
June has the most new listings (about 18 a month), but April is the most competitive: 36% of April sales close over asking. August and September offer nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (22%). September has the least competition (19%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than California
| Lake San Marcos now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | CA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 15% | 22% | 55% | 35% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 29% | 31% | 62% | 33% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.1% | 98.3% | 102.1% | 99.9% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 43 | 31 | 16 | 43 |
23 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 1.6 times the 2023 low (14), 22% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2012’s 41.
Since 2019, houses are up 62%, condos 60%
A house typically sold for $1.2M in the year to May 2026 (94 sales), a condo for $653K (63).
Median sale price, weighted by sales each month. Years with fewer than 4 sales of a type are left out.
Lake San Marcos ranks 516th of 560 busy California markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Lake San Marcos is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city figures, January 2012 to September 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Lake San Marcos home costs about $5,419 a month
Price: Lake San Marcos’ typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Lake San Marcos’ 0.5% (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 San Marcos is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in June
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 8.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $956K home, about $5,170 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Lake San Marcos, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in Lake San MarcosTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Lake San Marcos.
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.
San Marcos, Vista and Escondido sell for less a square foot; Encinitas and Rancho Santa Fe for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Lake San Marcos, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carlsbad | 1,238 | $1.5M | $707 | 28% | 33 |
| Escondido | 1,039 | $808K | $479 | 35% | 33 |
| San Marcos | 641 | $910K | $514 | 27% | 37 |
| Encinitas | 614 | $2.1M | $997 | 27% | 30 |
| Vista | 560 | $857K | $502 | 34% | 30 |
| Lake San Marcos | 155 | $956K | $618 | 15% | 43 |
| Rancho Santa Fe | 70 | $4.9M | $1,172 | 10% | 78 |
Redfin Data Center, October 2025 to September 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Lake San Marcos, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Lake San Marcos. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Lake San Marcos with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Lake San Marcos
What do homes sell for in Lake San Marcos, CA?
155 homes sold in the year to September 2026 at a typical $956K, $618 a square foot. Houses sold for about $1.2M, condos for about $653K in the year to May 2026.
Is Lake San Marcos a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 10 homes were for sale in September 2026 and 12 sold, about 0.8 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.1% of asking on average.
When is the best time to buy in Lake San Marcos?
June brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Lake San Marcos?
About 0.5% of a home’s value a year. On a $956K home that’s near $5,170.
Where can I see homes for sale in Lake San Marcos?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Lake San Marcos’ MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Lake San Marcos.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted; from June 2026 each month is a 3-month rolling window, its counts divided by 3). 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).