"32 Years in the 209 — Here's What I'm Seeing Right Now"

I’ve been selling real estate in Stockton and Lodi since 1992. Four recessions, one great recession, a global pandemic, and every market cycle this valley has thrown at brokers over the last 32 years.

Right now, in May 2026, the Stockton market is sitting at a median price around $430,000 to $450,000. There are about 966 active homes on the market, which is the most inventory we have seen in roughly 18 months. Well-priced homes are still moving in about 28 to 33 days. About 28% of sellers have cut their price, and the sale-to-list ratio is running around 98.7%.

What does that tell you?

This is a rebalancing, not a crash.

Sellers who understand the current market are still closing in under a month. Sellers pricing to 2023 comps are sitting longer and eventually reducing.

Here’s what I keep telling buyer clients who are hesitating: rates are moving toward 6%. When they get there, 18 months’ worth of sidelined buyers could start coming back into the market. The negotiating room buyers have right now — the ability to ask for concessions, credits, and repairs — can tighten quickly when that happens.

The time to move with leverage is before the crowd arrives, not after.

For investors, San Joaquin County still offers something the coast stopped offering years ago: numbers that can actually work. Bay Area and Sacramento median prices are significantly higher. Stockton at $430,000 to $450,000, paired with stable rents, is a very different conversation.

After 32 years, more than 1,570 transactions, and over $1.2 billion in brokerage volume, I’ve watched this market do things people said it would never do in both directions. 

If you want to talk through what is happening in a specific neighborhood, price range, or property type, call me directly. I answer my own phone. Best Randy

Randy Thomas
Broker/Owner, Cornerstone Real Estate Group
(209) 810-8830
cornerstonecloses dot com
CalDRE #01037761