What Matters Around Town
A smart weekly look at a 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 still stuck in that very specific middle place: not frozen, not easy, and not exactly predictable.
Freddie Mac’s latest weekly read has the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate back at 6.49%, up from 6.43% the week before. So, yes, rates dipped for a minute, and then immediately reminded everyone not to get too comfortable.
At the same time, Realtor.com’s June data showed national list prices down 2.5% year over year, while pending sales rose for the seventh straight month. That is the market in one neat little contradiction.
Prices are softening in some places.
Buyers are still writing contracts.
And sellers still have to be realistic if they want attention.
My read is that we are in a market where both sides have to behave better. Buyers cannot assume everything is overpriced just because rates are annoying. Sellers cannot assume buyers will chase anything just because inventory is still not exactly overflowing.
The homes that are clean, well-prepped, and priced with some connection to reality can still move quickly. The homes that are “testing the market” are usually just testing everyone’s patience.
The local read
Locally, the East Bay is still moving faster than the national headlines might suggest.
Walnut Creek, including Rossmoor, came in at a median sale price of $949,432, with 282 homes sold and an average of 14 days on market.
Lafayette came in at $2,115,534, with 75 homes sold and 18 days on market.
Pleasant Hill came in at $943,935, with 90 homes sold and 14 days on market.
The stat I keep coming back to is speed.
Fourteen days on market does not sound like buyers disappeared. It sounds like buyers are being careful, but when the right home shows up, they are still ready to move.
That is the tension right now.
The market is pickier, not dead.
Slower in some ways, still fast in others. Very annoying. Very real estate.
What I’d actually put on the calendar
Walnut Creek
Summer Sounds: Mustangs of the West
Lesher Center for the Arts, Rudney Plaza, Walnut Creek | July 16 | 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Summer Performing Arts Conservatory Acting Showcase
Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek | July 16 | 7:00 PM–8:05 PM
Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek | July 17 | 12:00 PM–7:00 PM
Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek | July 17 | 6:00 PM–7:30 PM
Summer Performing Arts Conservatory’s Musical Theatre Showcase
Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek | July 17–18 | Showtimes vary
Joybound People & Pets, 2890 Mitchell Drive, Walnut Creek | July 18 | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM
Public Art Walking Tour: Downtown, Library and Main St.
Starts at Lesher Center for the Arts Plaza, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek | July 18 | 10:00 AM–11:00 AM | Pay what you can
Locust Street between Cole and Lacassie, Walnut Creek | July 19 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
CCAS Free Pet Vaccinations & Microchips + Joybound Pet Food Pantry
Tice Valley Community Gym, 2055 Tice Valley Boulevard, Walnut Creek | July 19 | 9:00 AM | Free
Caleidoscope: Evolving Reflections of California
Bedford Gallery at Lesher Center for the Arts, 1601 Civic Drive, Walnut Creek | Ongoing July 12–September 13 | Wednesday–Sunday, 12:00 PM–5:00 PM | Pay what you can
Walnut Creek Library, Oak View Room, 1644 N. Broadway, Walnut Creek | July 21 | 4:30 PM–5:30 PM | Free; no registration
Pleasant Hill
Downtown Pleasant Hill Summer Concert Series: Neon Velvet
Downtown Pleasant Hill | July 16 | 7:00 PM–9:00 PM
City Hall Park, 138 Trelany Road, Pleasant Hill | July 17-24 | 5:00 PM–9:00 PM
Chilpancingo Park, 200 Golf Club Road, Pleasant Hill | July 17 | 5:00 PM–9:00 PM | Free admission
Pleasant Hill Blues & Brews Festival Pre-Party
Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill | July 17 | 6:00 PM–9:00 PM
City Hall, 100 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill | July 18 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Pleasant Hill Blues & Brews Festival Main Festival
Pleasant Hill Park, 147 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill | July 18 | 4:00 PM–9:00 PM
Lafayette (to check)
Lafayette Chamber Young Professionals at Local Vines
Local Vines, 3393 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette | July 16 | 5:30 PM–7:00 PM
Moraga Summer Concert Series
Moraga Commons Park, Moraga | July 16 | 6:30 PM–8:30 PM | Free; food trucks/vendors on site
Moraga Summer Concert Series: Dirty Cello
Moraga Commons Park, 1425 St. Marys Road, Moraga | July 16 | 6:30 PM–8:30 PM
Lafayette Summer Music Workshop
Stanley Middle School, Lafayette | July 16–17 | Times vary
Youth Stage Production: Emily Brontë, Teenage Necromancer
Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School Street, Lafayette | July 18 | 2:00 PM and 7:00 PM | Ticket price not confirmed in source checked
Town Hall Theatre, 3535 School Street, Lafayette | July 19 | Evening class
Connectivity: A New Art Exhibit
Moraga Art Gallery, 432 Center Street, Moraga | Ongoing through August 16 | Gallery hours vary
Lafayette Chamber Connectors AM Networking
Creekside Commons, 1035 Carol Lane, Lafayette | July 22 | 8:15 AM–9:30 AM | Free; RSVP required
California Symphony: Fresh Look, The Symphony Exposed
Don Tatzin Community Hall at Lafayette Library, 3491 Mt. Diablo Blvd., Lafayette | July 22 | 6:30 PM–8:00 PM | $40
Concord (to check)
Music & Market: Zepparella
Todos Santos Plaza, Concord | July 16 | Farmers Market 4:00 PM–8:00 PM; music begins at 6:30 PM
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill Open Mic Night
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill, 2045 Mt. Diablo Street, Concord | July 20 | 8:30 PM–12:30 AM
Concord Farmers Market
Todos Santos Plaza, Concord | July 21 | 9:00 AM–2:00 PM
Tuesday Night Blues
Todos Santos Plaza, Concord | July 21 | 6:30 PM–8:00 PM
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill Country Night
Vinnie’s Bar & Grill, 2045 Mt. Diablo Street, Concord | July 21 | 8:00 PM–11:00 PM
Side Gate Trivia Night with Geeks Who Drink
Side Gate Brewery & Beer Garden, 1822 Grant Street, Concord | July 22 | 6:30 PM–8:30 PM
Todos Santos Plaza, Concord | July 23 | Farmers Market 4:00 PM–8:00 PM; music begins at 6:30 PM
Green-182 at Music & Market
Todos Santos Plaza, 2175 Willow Pass Road, Concord | Thursday, July 23 | Farmers Market 4:00 PM–8:00 PM; music 6:30 PM–8:00 PM | Free
Martinez (to check)
B8 Theatre Company: You Can’t Take It with You
| Martinez Campbell Theater, 636 Ward Street, Martinez | July 10–26 | Select Thursday–Sunday performances | Tickets from $24
Independencia de Colombia at Del Cielo
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Martinez | July 17–19 | Times vary
Michelle Lambert at Slow Hand BBQ
Slow Hand BBQ, 601 Main Street, Martinez | Friday, July 17 | 5:30 PM | Free
DJ Night with DJ El De La Clave SF
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Martinez | July 17 | 6:30 PM–9:30 PM
Friday & Saturday Night Out at Nu-Rays
Nu-Rays Bar, 709 Ferry Street, Martinez | July 17–18 | 6:00 PM–10:00 PM
The Kurt Ribak Trio at Roxx on Main
Roxx on Main, 627 Main Street, Martinez | Friday, July 17 | 7:00 PM | Free; RSVP recommended
Aire Libre Weekend Sessions at Del Cielo Brewing Co.
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Suite A, Martinez | Friday, July 17 | Evening | Free
Jeff Tamelier with Darby Gould at Roxx on Main
Roxx on Main, 627 Main Street, Martinez | Saturday, July 18 | 7:00 PM | Free; RSVP recommended
Downtown Main Street / 700 Main Street, Martinez | July 19 | 9:00 AM–1:00 PM
Aire Libre Weekends at Del Cielo Brewing Co.
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Martinez | July 19 | 10:00 AM–7:00 PM
Hipster Cocktail Party at Five Suns Brewing
Five Suns Brewing, 626 Main Street, Martinez | Sunday, July 19 | 2:00 PM–4:30 PM | Free
Del Cielo Brewing Co., 701 Escobar Street, Martinez | July 21 | 6:30 PM–8:30 PM Crockett / Nearby
18th Annual Sugartown Festival
Rolph Street at Pomona Street, Crockett | Sunday, July 19 | 11:00 AM–6:00 PM | Free
Meetings that matter
Walnut Creek: Walnut Creek has a Transportation Commission meeting listed as cancelled on July 16, then a City Council special meeting at 4 p.m. and regular meeting at 6 p.m. on Tuesday, July 21. Council is usually the place to watch if you want the broader direction of the city, not just the project-by-project details. Public meeting link
Lafayette: Lafayette has a Code Enforcement Appeals Board meeting and a City Council Subcommittee on the Multi-Modal Mobility Advisory Committee on Wednesday, July 15, just before this window, and then the city calendar looks lighter through the following week. That is still worth watching because “multi-modal mobility” is a very official way of saying how people actually get around town without losing their minds. Public meeting calendar
Pleasant Hill: Pleasant Hill’s July 14 Planning Commission meeting falls just before this window, and the next Planning Commission meeting is listed for July 28. So this is a quieter meeting week for Pleasant Hill, but still a good time to keep an eye on the city calendar as local planning and General Plan conversations continue. City calendar
Concord: Concord has a Design Review Board meeting on Thursday, July 23 at 5:30 p.m. Design review does not always sound dramatic, but it is where projects start to become real visually: massing, architecture, site design, landscaping, and the things people eventually notice when they drive by. City calendar
Martinez: Martinez has several regular meeting items listed as quiet or cancelled around this period, so the more useful local read this week is the community calendar: downtown markets, Del Cielo weekends, Nu-Rays, and the kind of everyday activity that keeps Main Street feeling like Main Street. Meetings and agendas
The scoreboard
Latest available local snapshot:
Walnut Creek, including Rossmoor: $949,432 median sale price | 282 homes sold | 14 average days on market
Lafayette: $2,115,534 median sale price | 75 homes sold | 18 average days on market
Pleasant Hill: $943,935 median sale price | 90 homes sold | 14 average days on market
The short version: buyers are still moving, but they are not chasing everything.
That might be the cleanest way to explain this market. The good homes still move. The overpriced ones teach lessons. And everyone has to be a little more prepared than they did a few years ago.
5 Star Pending Properties
5 Star Sold Property
Sold for $1,198,000
Listed at $1,198,000
4 beds | 2.5 baths | 2,041 sqft | 7,475 sqft lot
One smart add-on
What Will Walnut Creek
Look Like in 2050?
Walnut Creek’s general plan may not sound exciting, but it shapes the future of our city…
Housing, traffic, parks, downtown, open space, public safety.
What do you want Walnut Creek to look like in 2050?
The Fourth is behind us, summer is very much here, and the East Bay calendar is doing its usual thing where there are somehow three different things you could do on the same night.
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