Okay, who overbooked the East Bay?
A smart weekly look at the East Bay
through the lens of local life, housing, and development.
What the market is telling us
The housing market is not frozen. It is sorting.
Mortgage rates remain in the mid-6% range, pending home sales fell 5.4% in June, and the supply of homes available nationally continues to improve. Existing-home sales also slipped 2.4% from May, although they were still 2.8% higher than a year earlier.
That combination matters. Buyers have more homes to compare, more time to notice flaws and less reason to chase a property simply because it is available.
For sellers, the market is rewarding accurate pricing and strong preparation. The homes that show well and make sense against the competition are still moving. The ones priced around what the seller hopes might happen are having a harder time.
My read is that August will remain active, but selective. Buyers are still willing to act. They just need a clearer reason to choose one home over another.
The local read
The latest local numbers still show a relatively quick market across much of central Contra Costa. Median days on market remain around two weeks in Walnut Creek, Pleasant Hill, Moraga, Concord and several neighboring communities. But those citywide numbers hide very different experiences.
Walnut Creek, including Rossmoor, is several markets rolled into one. A downtown condo, a Larkey Park house and a Rossmoor co-op may share a ZIP code without sharing much else.
Lamorinda’s median prices can move sharply depending on which homes happen to close during a particular month. A few larger or more updated properties can quickly pull the overall number higher. Pleasant Hill continues to sit in an interesting middle ground for buyers who want a central location and a single-family home without crossing into Lamorinda pricing. Concord and Martinez continue to offer more options below the region’s highest price points, but buyers there are also comparing condition and location more carefully.
The consistent theme is not that buyers have disappeared. They have become more selective, and they are more willing to wait when the price and the property do not line up.
What I’d actually put on the calendar
Walnut Creek
Broadway Plaza Summer Concert: Foreverland
Broadway Plaza Street | August 6 | DJ at 5:30 PM; concert at 7:00 PM | Free Michael Jackson tribute concert.
Cocktails & Conversation: CALeidoscope
Bedford Gallery, 1601 Civic Drive | August 6 | 5:30 PM–7:00 PM | Conversation with exhibiting artists; gallery admission applies.
Summer Nights: Rainbow Roll Gelli Printmaking
Shadelands Art Center, 111 N. Wiget Lane | August 6 | 6:00 PM–8:00 PM | Hands-on printmaking workshop; registration required.
Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive | August 7–13 | Multiple performances | Ticketed musical featuring songs from the Disney film.
See’s Candies 40th Anniversary Celebration
See’s Candies, 9 Broadway Lane at Broadway Plaza | August 7 | Begins at 10:00 AM and continues throughout the day | Anniversary celebration with giveaways and special offers.
Friends of the Walnut Creek Library Book Sale: Members Only
Walnut Creek Library, 1644 N. Broadway | August 7 | 3:00 PM–4:30 PM | Members-only preview sale; memberships available at the door.
Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Drive | August 7 | 6:00 PM–7:30 PM | Suggested donation; families and canine companions welcome.
Frampton Comes Alive Experience and The Piano Man
Retro Junkie, 2112 N. Main Street | August 7 | 6:00 PM–11:00 PM | Ticketed Peter Frampton, Billy Joel and Elton John tribute show.
Enaura and Maison Margot Bridal Trunk Shows
Kinsley Couture Bridal, 1623 Mt. Diablo Boulevard | August 7–13 | During boutique hours | Special bridal collections available by appointment.
Friends of the Walnut Creek Library Book Sale
Walnut Creek Library, 1644 N. Broadway | August 8 | 10:00 AM–3:30 PM | Thousands of books, with a $5 bag sale beginning at 2:00 PM.
Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Drive | August 8 | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM | Free adult dog and cat adoptions.
Saturday Behind-the-Scenes Tour of Joybound
Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Drive | August 8 | 11:30 AM–12:30 PM | Free guided tour; registration required.
Headlands Brewing, 2999 Oak Road | August 8 | 2:00 PM–5:00 PM | Live Saturday-afternoon music.
Retro Junkie, 2112 N. Main Street | August 8 | Doors at 6:00 PM | Ticketed Def Leppard and AC/DC tribute show.
Locust Street between Cole and Lacassie | August 9 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM | Free admission.
Calicraft Brewing Company, 2700 Mitchell Drive | August 9 | 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM | Ticketed, age-specific singles events.
Applied Horticulture: Building Healthy Soil
Virtual program from the Ruth Bancroft Garden | August 12 | 11:00 AM | Online gardening webinar; registration required.
Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road | August 12 | 2:00 PM–4:00 PM | Free board games, card games and Nintendo Switch for tweens and teens.
Kids Movie Matinee: The Emperor’s New Groove
Walnut Creek Library, 1644 N. Broadway | August 12 | 4:00 PM–5:45 PM | Free family-friendly movie screening.
Ygnacio Valley Library, 2661 Oak Grove Road | August 13 | 2:45 PM–4:00 PM | Free after-school hangout for tweens and teens.
Rossmoor Concert: Super Diamond
Rossmoor Event Center, 1001 Stanley Dollar Drive | August 13 | Doors at 5:00 PM; concert at 7:00 PM | Ticketed Neil Diamond tribute concert benefiting Hospice East Bay.
Broadway Plaza Summer Concert: The Bell Brothers
Broadway Plaza Street | August 13 | DJ and line dancing at 5:30 PM; concert at 7:00 PM | Free country concert.
Walnut Creek Library, 1644 N. Broadway | August 13 | 4:30 PM–5:30 PM | Free building session with LEGO bricks, KEVA planks and more; ages 5–12.
Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Avenue | August 6 and 13 | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Free stories, songs, movement and playtime.
138 Trelany Road | August 6 and 13 | 5:00 PM–9:00 PM | Free food-truck gathering with drinks, lawn games and live music.
Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Avenue | August 7 | 11:00 AM–11:30 AM | Free music and movement for young children and caregivers.
Chilpancingo Park, 200 Golf Club Road | August 7 | 5:00 PM–9:00 PM | Free evening market with food, music and local merchants.
College Park High School Track, 201 Viking Drive | August 8 | 8:00 AM–11:00 AM | Community run and walk benefiting the College Park cross-country program; registration required.
Pleasant Hill City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane | August 8 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM | Free admission.
Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Avenue | August 8 | 2:00 PM–4:00 PM | Free; all ages and abilities welcome.
Mobile Adoptions at Rooted Coffee
Rooted Coffee Co., 1941 Oak Park Boulevard | August 9 | 10:00 AM–1:00 PM | Meet adoptable Joybound animals.
Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Avenue | August 11 | 6:30 PM–7:30 PM | Free family comedy, magic and juggling show.
Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Avenue | August 12 | 11:00 AM–12:00 PM | Free storytime and art activity.
Pleasant Hill Library, 2 Monticello Avenue | August 12 | 1:30 PM–3:30 PM | Free open studio time for elementary and middle-school students.
Delphi Realty Group, 1930 Contra Costa Boulevard | August 13 | 5:00 PM–7:00 PM | Evening networking hosted by the Pleasant Hill Chamber.
Lamorinda
Lafayette Library & Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette | August 6 | 10:30 AM–11:30 AM | Free bilingual Spanish-English music and movement program for young children.
Orinda Library, 26 Orinda Way, Orinda | August 6 | 6:00 PM–6:30 PM | Free outdoor evening storytime.
Siesta Valley Bowl, 100 Gateway Boulevard, Orinda | August 7 | 8:00 PM | Ticketed outdoor concert featuring the internationally known ukulele virtuoso.
Orinda Community Center Park Amphitheatre, 28 Orinda Way, Orinda | August 7 and 8 | 8:30 PM | Ticketed outdoor production of Noël Coward’s comedy.
Orinda Community Center, 28 Orinda Way, Orinda | August 8 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM | Free year-round Saturday market.
Lafayette Library Half-Price Book Sale
Friends Corner Book Shop, Lafayette Library & Learning Center, 3491 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette | August 8 | 10:00 AM–4:00 PM | All books in the shop are 50% off.
New Orleans Brass Explosion: Rebirth Brass Band and The Soul Rebels
Siesta Valley Bowl, 100 Gateway Boulevard, Orinda | August 8 | 8:00 PM | Ticketed outdoor jazz, funk, soul and New Orleans brass concert.
Orinda Theatre, 4 Orinda Theatre Square, Orinda | August 8 | 9:00 PM | Ticketed screening presented by Backdoor Films.
Moraga Farmers’ Market Watermelon Festival
Moraga Center, Moraga Road and Moraga Way, Moraga | August 9 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM | Free festival with children’s activities and a watermelon-eating contest.
Downtown Lafayette | August 9 | 10:00 AM–3:00 PM | Free outdoor market featuring vintage clothing, home goods, collectibles and local dealers.
Orinda Theatre, 4 Orinda Theatre Square, Orinda | August 9 | 11:00 AM | Ticketed classic-film presentation hosted by film critic Matías Bombal.
Headlands Brewing, 3420 Mt. Diablo Boulevard, Lafayette | August 9 | 1:00 PM–4:00 PM | Live Sunday-afternoon music.
Saint Mary’s vs. Cal Men’s Soccer
Saint Mary’s Stadium, 1928 St. Marys Road, Moraga | August 10 | 5:00 PM | Free exhibition match.
Mike Farrell in The Strawberry
Orinda Theatre, 4 Orinda Theatre Square, Orinda | August 10 | 6:30 PM–9:30 PM | Red-carpet screening followed by a cast-and-crew Q&A.
Summer Lunchtime Screening: Moonbound
Sichel Hall at Saint Mary’s College, 1928 St. Marys Road, Moraga | August 12 | 12:00 PM–1:30 PM | NASA documentary screening and conversation; bring lunch, popcorn provided.
Moraga Book Club: Fahrenheit 451
Moraga Library, 1500 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga | August 13 | 1:00 PM–2:00 PM | Free adult book discussion.
Moraga Summer Concert: Cassie B and Dream Like Taylor
Moraga Commons Park, 1425 St. Mary’s Road, Moraga | August 13 | 6:30 PM–8:30 PM | Free Taylor Swift tribute concert with food trucks and vendors.
Concord
Side Gate Brewery’s 5-Year Anniversary Party
Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden, 1822 Grant Street | August 8 | 12:00 PM–10:00 PM | Free all-day celebration with beer releases, live music, food and expanded outdoor seating.
Hilton Concord, 1970 Diamond Boulevard | August 8–9 | 10:00 AM–6:00 PM | Free with advance registration; spirituality and wellness vendors, demonstrations and speakers.
The Vineyard at Todos Santos Plaza, 2150 Salvio Street | August 9 | Performances at 5:30 PM and 7:30 PM | Ticketed concert celebrating nearly a century of jazz-guitar music.
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill, 2045 Mt. Diablo Street | August 10 | 8:30 PM–12:30 AM | Recurring Monday-night open mic.
Todos Santos Plaza | August 11 | 9:00 AM–2:00 PM | Free admission.
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill, 2045 Mt. Diablo Street | August 11 | 8:00 PM–11:00 PM | Free admission and country line-dancing lessons.
Side Gate Trivia Night with Geeks Who Drink
Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden, 1822 Grant Street | August 12 | Sign-ups at 6:30 PM; trivia at 7:00 PM | Weekly team trivia.
Bayside Pavers Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting
Bayside Pavers, 1081 Detroit Avenue | August 13 | 3:00 PM–4:00 PM | Free showroom opening with refreshments, tours and networking.
Concord Library, 2900 Salvio Street | August 13 | 4:00 PM–5:00 PM | Free reading-confidence sessions with a Joybound therapy dog.
Todos Santos Plaza | August 13 | Farmers’ market 4:00 PM–8:00 PM; concert at 6:30 PM | Free Thursday-night concert and market.
Martinez
Escobar Street outside Del Cielo Brewing | August 7, 5:00 PM–10:00 PM; August 8, 10:00 AM–10:00 PM; August 9, 10:00 AM–7:00 PM | Outdoor downtown gathering.
Downtown Martinez First Friday
Historic Downtown Martinez | August 7 | 6:00 PM–9:00 PM | Free evening of art, music, shopping and community activities.
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Suite A | August 7 | 6:30 PM–9:30 PM | Latin hits during First Friday.
Roxx on Main, 627 Main Street | August 7 | 7:00 PM–9:00 PM | Live French café and gypsy jazz; reservations recommended.
Friday and Saturday Night Out at Nu-Rays
Nu-Rays Bar, 709 Ferry Street | August 7 and 8 | 6:00 PM–10:00 PM | Recurring downtown weekend gathering.
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Suite A | August 8 | 4:00 PM–8:00 PM | Saturday-afternoon cornhole tournament.
Live Music: Braulio Barrera and Somos El Son
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Suite A | August 8 | 6:30 PM–9:30 PM | Live salsa and Latin music.
Roxx on Main, 627 Main Street | August 8 | 7:00 PM–9:00 PM | Live jazz featuring vocalist Cecilia Long and guitarist Dave Bell; reservations recommended.
Downtown Martinez Farmers’ Market
Downtown Main Street | August 9 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM | Free weekly farmers’ market.
Downtown Martinez Open Air Market
800 block of Main Street | August 9 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM | Antiques, vintage goods, art, collectibles and handmade items.
Nu-Rays Bar, 709 Ferry Street | August 9 | 2:00 PM–6:00 PM | Motorcycle display and community gathering.
Main Street | August 13 | 6:00 PM–8:00 PM | Free evening car show in downtown Martinez.
Meetings that matter
Walnut Creek
Planning Commission | August 13 | 6:00 PM
The final project list was still pending, but this is the main local meeting to watch for housing, development and land-use decisions.
Pleasant Hill
Planning Commission | August 11 | 6:30 PM
Budget Committee, Commission on Aging and Zoning Administrator | August 13
The August 6 Architectural Review Commission meeting has been canceled.
Lafayette
City Council and Design Review Commission | August 10
Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission | August 12
Environmental Task Force | August 13
The City Council agenda was still pending when this issue was prepared.
Moraga
Parks and Recreation Commission | August 10 | 6:30 PM
The commission advises the town on parks, facilities, recreation programs and community events.
Concord
City Council | August 11 | 6:30 PM
Zoning Administrator | August 12
Design Review Board | August 13
Check the final packets for development, housing, infrastructure and city-policy items.
Martinez
Veterans Commission | August 6
Planning Commission | August 11
Zoning Administrator | August 13
The Planning Commission will consider proposed changes to the municipal-code provisions governing the commission.
The scoreboard
Latest available local snapshot:
The latest consistent city-level comparison covers the three-month period ending May 2026.
Walnut Creek, including Rossmoor: $949,432 median sale price | 282 homes sold | 14 days on market.
Pleasant Hill: $943,935 median sale price | 90 homes sold | 14 days on market.
Lafayette: $2,115,534 median sale price | 75 homes sold | 18 days on market.
Moraga: $1,576,557 median sale price | 49 homes sold | 14 days on market.
Orinda: $2,006,799 median sale price | 60 homes sold | 11 days on market.
Concord: $754,548 median sale price | 296 homes sold | 14 days on market.
Martinez: $798,522 median sale price | 97 homes sold | 16 days on market.
The consistent piece is speed. Even as buyers become more selective, properly positioned homes are still going into contract relatively quickly. A two-week median does not mean every property sells in two weeks. It means the strongest listings are doing a lot of the work behind the overall number.
5 Star Pending Property
5 beds | 4 baths | 3,338 sqft
$2,348,000
5 Star Just Listed Properties
2 beds | 2.5 baths | 1,448 sqft
$1,050,000
1 bed | 1 bath | 726 sqft
$435,000
One smart add-on
It’s officially official!
I filed papers today for Walnut Creek City Council.
Thanks for all the support. It’s on!
If there’s an East Bay neighborhood, project, local issue, event, or market question you want me to cover in a future edition, hit reply and send it my way.
– Brendan
