1,094 San Diego Homes Cut Their Price This Month. None Pays for Itself Yet (October 2026)
1,094 of the 4,124 houses, condos and townhomes for sale in San Diego County on October 29, 2026 cut their asking price in the 30 days before, 27% of them. The median cut was 3.4%, $30,000. We ran every one as a rental before and after its cut.
What a cut does to the numbers
At today's rate, each $10,000 off a home near the median cut home's price of $874,995 adds about $78 a month to its cash flow with 20% down. The median cut added $232 a month. After its cut, the median cut home still loses about $3,896 a month as a rental, and its price would have to come down another 60% to pay for itself. For one of the cut homes no price works at all: the rent can't cover the HOA and the other costs that don't shrink with the price.
None of the 1,094 pays for itself yet at 20% down. Across all 4,124 houses, condos and townhomes for sale, none does. At today's prices and rates, a San Diego rental is a bet on rent growth and appreciation, not on monthly cash flow, unless the price or the down payment moves a lot further.
The cuts that came closest
The cut homes closest to paying for themselves, each with a rent from at least 4 closed leases nearby:
- 2930 E Plaza Blvd, a 3 bed house in National City (91950): cut from $590,000 to $520,000 (11.9%). As a rental it now loses about $1,198 a month, and it pays for itself at $366,000, 30% under today's price. Rent $3,683 from 17 closed leases nearby.
- 4310 54th Street, a 1 bed condo in College Area / SDSU (92115): cut from $247,000 to $239,500 (3%). As a rental it now loses about $559 a month, and it pays for itself at $167,000, 30% under today's price. Rent $2,129 from 13 closed leases nearby.
- A 5 bed house in Escondido North (92027): cut from $825,000 to $805,999 (2.3%). As a rental it now loses about $2,033 a month, and it pays for itself at $544,000, 33% under today's price. Rent $5,480 from 13 closed leases nearby.
- 550 15th Street, a 2 bed condo in Downtown San Diego (92101): cut from $427,000 to $399,000 (6.6%). As a rental it now loses about $1,065 a month, and it pays for itself at $262,000, 34% under today's price. Rent $3,436 from 20 closed leases nearby.
- 1324 Park Drive, a 3 bed house in Chula Vista (91911): cut from $595,900 to $565,000 (5.2%). As a rental it now loses about $1,570 a month, and it pays for itself at $363,000, 36% under today's price. Rent $3,653 from 9 closed leases nearby.
- A 4 bed condo in Chula Vista (91913): cut from $715,000 to $650,000 (9.1%). As a rental it now loses about $1,948 a month, and it pays for itself at $399,000, 39% under today's price. Rent $4,500 from 28 closed leases nearby.
The biggest cuts
- Normal Heights / University Heights (92116), a 3 bed house: $1,350,000 to $999,999, 25.9% off. As a rental, its monthly loss went from $6,726 to $4,011.
- Escondido Central (92025), a 2 bed house: $900,000 to $700,000, 22.2% off. As a rental, its monthly loss went from $4,871 to $3,320.
- San Diego (92119), a 2 bed condo: $399,000 to $325,000, 18.5% off. As a rental, its monthly loss went from $1,916 to $1,343.
- College Area / SDSU (92115), a 7 bed house: $1,499,000 to $1,249,000, 16.7% off. As a rental, its monthly loss went from $6,486 to $4,547.
- Escondido Central (92025), a 2 bed condo: $659,990 to $549,990, 16.7% off. As a rental, its monthly loss went from $3,302 to $2,449.
Where sellers are cutting
| Area | Price cuts | Share of homes for sale | Median cut |
|---|---|---|---|
| Downtown San Diego (92101) | 69 homes | 22% | 3.8% |
| Fallbrook (92028) | 40 homes | 24% | 3.7% |
| La Jolla (92037) | 37 homes | 22% | 5.3% |
| Oceanside (92057) | 36 homes | 33% | 3.5% |
| College Area / SDSU (92115) | 35 homes | 34% | 3.1% |
| Mission Valley (92108) | 33 homes | 29% | 3.7% |
| San Marcos (92078) | 28 homes | 33% | 2.9% |
| Carlsbad / La Costa (92009) | 26 homes | 30% | 3.2% |
Areas with at least 4 cut homes. The share is of that area's houses, condos and townhomes for sale.
How we figured it
A cut is a lower asking price than the listing had 30 days before October 29, 2026, from our record of every MLS price change since February 2026. A raise and a cut in the same month net out, and a drop over 35% is treated as a corrected typo, not a cut (1 this month). The cash flow is the site's own rental math: 20% down at 7.57%, Freddie Mac's 30 year average of 7.32% (week of October 22, 2026) plus a quarter point for an investment loan, property tax at 1.2% of the price, insurance, HOA, upkeep, and 8% vacancy, 10% management and 5% repairs. Rents come from closed leases of comparable homes nearby. Homes in 55+ communities, deed restricted homes, manufactured homes, heavy fixers and duplicate postings are left out. Every home has its own page with the numbers at your own down payment and rate, or start from every home for sale.
- San Diego
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