Is It a Good Time to Sell Your Home in San Carlos?

Deciding when to sell your home in San Carlos starts with understanding what makes sense for you and your family right now. The bigger question is whether selling aligns with your goals, lifestyle changes, and plans for the future. Market conditions matter, but they're just one piece of a much bigger puzzle.

What Happens After You Sell Your San Carlos Home?

Most San Carlos homeowners have built significant equity in their properties, particularly those who have owned for several years. In Q3 2025, the median sale price for a home in San Mateo County was $1,660,000, up 3.1% from Q3 2024 according to MLS data. Countywide home values have increased by about 16% since 2020 and by 69% since 2015. If you purchased recently, you might break even after closing costs and fees, but the majority of homeowners do see a profit when they sell.

Here's what matters more than your home's current value: what comes next? If you're selling your primary residence, you need somewhere else to live. According to the National Association of Realtors Profile of Homebuyers & Sellers, only 24% of buyers in 2024 were first-time purchasers, meaning three-quarters were existing homeowners, most of whom sold to buy again. Working with top San Carlos real estate agents like the Veritas Homes team, who understand both sides of the transaction, can make this transition much smoother.

A smaller percentage of sellers fall into different categories - owners of multiple properties who don't plan to buy, people combining households, or older homeowners moving to assisted living or liquidating a family estate. Most homeowners don't simply sell and walk away with cash. They roll some of the profit into their next down payment. Browse our past sales to see how other homeowners in the Mid-Peninsula have successfully navigated these transitions.

Why Trading Up During Uncertain Markets Can Be Smart

There's a counterintuitive reality about buying and selling in real estate that many homeowners don't realize. If you're a current homeowner looking to trade up to a bigger or more expensive property, it can actually make sense to do it when the market feels soft or before prices climb even higher.

Here's how the math works. Say you sell a home for $2 million and buy your next property for $3 million.

If prices then rise 10%, you've gained $300,000 in equity on that larger home.
However, if you wait to trade up until after prices rise 10%, you lose out on those equity gains and end up spending more - in this case, selling for $2.2 million but buying for $3.3 million.

Real estate is what economists call a "sticky" asset class, meaning prices don't fluctuate dramatically like stocks do. The market rarely dips, let alone crashes. Even during recessions, home prices typically don't suffer significant declines because weak economic conditions usually lead to lower mortgage rates, which boost homebuyers' budgets and help keep prices firm.

In other words, don't assume you should wait to sell until your current home is worth as much as possible, and don't assume it's a bad time to buy if the market feels weak - the opposite could actually be true. You can always explore San Carlos homes and properties in neighboring areas like Belmont, Redwood City, and San Mateo to see what's available right now.

The Right Time to Sell in San Carlos Is When It's Right for You

Ultimately, trying to perfectly time the San Carlos real estate market for purely financial reasons just isn't realistic. Nobody can tell the future. Even as experienced San Carlos Realtors for many years… our crystal ball is in the shop! 🔮

When you’re ready to sell your home, you don't need a San Carlos real estate agent who claims to predict exactly what will happen tomorrow or a year from now. What you need is someone you can trust to help you make the right personal decisions for you and your family today.

Selling and buying a home is a deeply personal decision. It's a financial move as well as a lifestyle change and a whole lot of work. You probably want someone on your side whose advice you trust and who will take the legwork, scheduling, and strategy off your plate, so you can focus on your family, work, and life. Life doesn't stop when you sell a house. And life doesn't always follow the rhythm of the real estate market.

Whether you're moving because your family is growing, your kids are heading off to college, you're relocating for work, or you simply want a change of scenery, the best time to sell your San Carlos home is when the timing works for you. Learn more about our Veritas Homes team approach and how we guide Mid-Peninsula homeowners through these important transitions. We're also committed to making a difference in the community through our giving back program, supporting the causes our clients care about with a portion of each commission.

Sell Your Home With the Best San Carlos Realtors

When the time is right for you to sell your house in San Carlos or anywhere across the Mid-Peninsula communities we serve, we're here to make sure you're comfortable, safe, and successful. Start by browsing current active listings to see what your next home could look like, or reach out to us to discuss your specific situation and goals. Your journey starts when you're ready, not when the market tells you to move. When the time comes, we’d love to help you.