Published October 8, 2026 in Market Update

62 of 98 Calabasas Buyers Paid Cash. Here Is What That Means.

By Shane Marechal

Real estate, market update clean 91302

I pulled every listing that closed in the 91302 zip code, through September 28, 2026. Of the 98 sales where the file shows how the buyer paid, 61 were cash. That is 62.2%. I wanted to know what that split actually means for a seller pricing a home today, or a buyer deciding how hard to push.

Cash buyers closed faster, but loan buyers gave up less from the first asking price.

The typical cash sale closed in 44 days. The typical loan sale took 53 days. That nine-day gap matters when a seller is carrying costs or has already bought somewhere else.

But look at what each group paid relative to what the seller first asked. Cash buyers landed at 93% of that first price. Loan buyers landed at 96.6%. That is a 3.6-point gap. On a $2 million home, 3.6 points is $72,000.

Loan buyers paid closer to the first asking price, even though they took longer to close. That is the part most sellers do not expect.

One reason the gap may exist: cash buyers in this zip code are not always in a rush. They have options. They can wait for a seller to move. Loan buyers, working against a rate lock and a timeline, may have less room to negotiate hard. The 30-year fixed averaged 7.40% as of October 8, 2026, up from 7.28% the week before, according to Freddie Mac's weekly rate survey. A year ago it was 6.30%. At those rates, a financed buyer in a $2 million home is carrying a very large monthly payment. They tend to move when they find the right fit.

The whole market middle sold price was $2,080,000. Cash buyers came in just above that at $2,125,000. Loan buyers came in below at $1,818,000. Cash is not only common here. It is concentrated at the higher end.

The loan buyer's surprise: they got more of what the seller first asked.

Here is the tradeoff nobody talks about. Cash is supposed to win everything. It wins speed. It does not win price.

Loan buyers paid 97.5% of the last asking price and 96.6% of the first asking price. Cash buyers paid 96.9% of the last asking price and 93% of the first asking price. On both measures, loan buyers gave less ground.

Part of what is happening: cash buyers often buy homes that have already sat a while and dropped their price. Right now, 59.5% of the 153 homes for sale in 91302 have already cut their price. The typical cut is $200,000. A cash buyer who waits for that cut, then offers below the reduced price, ends up far from the original ask. The seller gets a clean close. The buyer gets a discount.

Loan buyers tend to move earlier in a listing's life, when competition is higher and the price has not moved yet. That is why they land closer to the first number.

What sellers and buyers should each do differently right now.

If you are selling, the first price is the most important decision you make. Homes that gave up with no sale first asked $2,647,000 on average. Homes that sold first asked $2,099,000. That is a $548,000 gap at the start. Cash buyers are watching for price cuts, and 59.5% of the 153 homes for sale right now have already cut. The typical cut is $200,000. If you price right the first time, you attract both pools, cash and loan, before the patience runs out. Get fire insurance quotes early too. Availability and cost in 91302 can change whether a deal closes, and it is better to know that before you are in contract.

If you are buying with a loan, the rate environment is working against you. The 30-year fixed averaged 7.40% as of October 8, 2026, up from 6.30% a year ago (Freddie Mac). But the data shows loan buyers who move early, in month one, got 99% of the first asking price. That is better than cash buyers got overall. Speed matters more than your payment method. Nationally, housing supply hit 4.9 months in August 2026, according to NAR, which is still below the six months that clearly favors buyers. In 91302, supply sits at 6.5 months right now. That gives you more room than you had six months ago, but it will not last forever if new listings slow down.