Condo vs House
Condo vs House in Irvine, CA: What Buyers Actually Pay (2026)
Updated November 10, 2026
Reviewed by:
Head of Growth at TurboHome
Head Agent, California · CalDRE #01997822
Irvine condos are unusually large, a median 1,719 square feet, and many in Great Park are detached-condo products, so the line between a condo and a house is thinner here: 88.7% of houses pay HOA dues too. From November 2025 to October 2026, the median condo in Irvine sold for $1,250,000 and the median house for $2,100,000. Condos cost 85% of the house price per square foot ($743 against $872), carried median HOA dues of $420 a month, and took 6 more days to sell (29 against 23).
TurboHome Market Analysis · Irvine, CA · Closings Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 · Published November 2026
Condos made up 54% of the condo and house sales in our MLS feed (999 against 844). Below: the two types side by side, what the same bedroom count costs in each, the condo neighborhoods with the most sales, how prices moved over the year, what HOA dues pay for, and where buyers have room to negotiate.
Condo vs house in Irvine at a glance
| Measure | Condo | House | Townhouse |
|---|---|---|---|
| Closings | 999 | 844 | 149 |
| Median sale price | $1,250,000 | $2,100,000 | $1,170,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $743 | $872 | $727 |
| Median size (sq ft) | 1,719 | 2,522 | Not reported |
| Median days on market | 29 | 23 | 28 |
| Median sale-to-list | 98.2% | 97.6% | 98.2% |
| Share closed below list | 70.6% | 73.1% | Not reported |
| Share with a price cut before sale | 38.7% | 32.2% | Not reported |
| Median monthly HOA dues | $420 (99.9% have dues) | $232 (88.7% have dues) | $484 |
Irvine condos are large (a median 1,719 square feet), and many are detached-condo products in Great Park.
What the same budget buys: condo vs house by bedroom count
| Bedrooms | Median condo price (closings) | Median house price (closings) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 bedroom | $607,500 (74) | Too few sales |
| 2 bedrooms | $930,000 (290) | $1,150,000 (33) |
| 3 bedrooms | $1,350,000 (408) | $1,471,944 (178) |
| 4 or more bedrooms | $1,700,000 (226) | $2,439,000 (632) |
The widest gap is at 4 or more bedrooms: the median condo sold for $1,700,000 and the median house for $2,439,000. Rows marked "Too few sales" had fewer than 20 closings of that type.
Condo neighborhoods in Irvine
Great Park Neighborhoods had the most condo sales in our feed (226), many of them detached-condo products, at a median $1,400,000 against $2,156,855 for houses there. In Cypress Village, condos and houses sold at almost the same price per square foot ($830 against $829). The Irvine Business Complex was the slowest condo market in the table, at 50 days and 97.5% of list.
| Neighborhood | Condo closings | Median condo price | Condo price per sq ft | Condo median days on market | Condo sale-to-list | Houses: median price (per sq ft) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Great Park Neighborhoods | 226 | $1,400,000 | $649 | 30 | 98.2% | $2,156,855 ($758) |
| Irvine Business Complex | 132 | $876,500 | $712 | 50 | 97.5% | Too few house sales |
| Portola Springs | 102 | $1,490,000 | $770 | 37 | 98.3% | $2,400,000 ($828) |
| Woodbridge | 95 | $977,000 | $777 | 21 | 98.9% | $1,730,000 ($899) |
| Cypress Village | 41 | $1,380,000 | $830 | 20 | 97.5% | $2,165,000 ($829) |
| Oak Creek | 39 | $774,000 | $737 | 29 | 98.1% | $1,950,000 ($810) |
| Northwood | 37 | $750,000 | $742 | 21 | 99.0% | $1,687,500 ($809) |
| Westpark | 36 | $814,500 | $768 | 37.5 | 98.6% | $1,600,000 ($886) |
Neighborhoods with at least 20 condo closings, in order of condo sales. House figures appear only where a neighborhood had 12 or more house closings.
Are condo prices in Irvine rising or falling?
The median condo price in Irvine fell 3.8% year over year, from $1,300,000 to $1,250,000, while the median house price fell 2.3% ($2,150,000 to $2,100,000). Condos took a median 29 days to sell, up from 25, and 70.6% closed below list, against 63.3% a year earlier. The median townhouse sold for $1,170,000, against $1,155,000 a year earlier.
| Measure | Condos, Nov 2024 to Oct 2025 | Condos, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 | Houses, Nov 2024 to Oct 2025 | Houses, Nov 2025 to Oct 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Closings | 1,030 | 999 | 799 | 844 |
| Median sale price | $1,300,000 | $1,250,000 | $2,150,000 | $2,100,000 |
| Median price per sq ft | $775 | $743 | $906 | $872 |
| Median days on market | 25 | 29 | 21 | 23 |
| Median sale-to-list | 98.7% | 98.2% | 98.0% | 97.6% |
| Share closed below list | 63.3% | 70.6% | 66.7% | 73.1% |
| Share closed above list | 20.8% | 14.0% | 22.8% | 18.8% |
HOA dues and what they cover
The median condo in Irvine paid $420 a month in HOA dues, and 99.9% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $484 a month. 88.7% of houses had dues too, at a median $232 a month.
Irvine is built as master-planned villages, so dues come with almost any home, house or condo. Condo owners often pay both a master association and a building or complex association, so ask for every association's budget and reserve study before you offer.
Should you buy a condo or a house in Irvine?
70.6% of condos closed below list and 38.7% had a price cut before selling, against 73.1% and 32.2% of houses. 18.8% of houses sold above list, against 14.0% of condos. The median condo closed at 96.6% of its original asking price and the median house at 96.2%. Both types leave room to negotiate in Irvine, in different ways: more houses closed below list, and more condos took a price cut first.
A buyer's agent should price a condo offer from recent sales in the same building or complex, the HOA's budget and reserves, and how long the listing has sat, and a house offer from street-level comps and how many buyers are competing for it. TurboHome's licensed agents in Irvine do both, for a flat fee: see how TurboHome's flat fee works.
Methodology
We looked at closed sales in Irvine from our MLS feed, closed November 1, 2025 through October 31, 2026, compared with November 1, 2024 through October 31, 2025. A condo is a home listed as a condominium, a house is a home listed as a single-family residence, and townhouses are shown separately only where there were 50 or more closings. Sales under $50,000 are excluded, and days on market counts only values from 0 to 730 days. Figures are medians. Sale-to-list is the closing price divided by the final list price; a price cut means the final list price was below the original list price; "closed at its original asking price" divides the closing price by the original list price. HOA dues are the monthly figure on the listing.
Neighborhoods need at least 20 condo closings to appear, and house figures appear only where a neighborhood had 12 or more house closings. Bedroom-count cells with fewer than 20 closings are left out.
For national context, Redfin reported on October 6, 2025: "There were an estimated 72.3% more condo sellers than buyers (108,945 more) nationwide in August." The figures on this page are TurboHome's own, from closed sales in Irvine.
FAQ
Why are condos in Irvine cheaper per square foot than houses?
In Irvine, condos sold for a median $743 a square foot against $872 for houses, so condo space cost 85% of the house price per square foot. A house price includes its own land and room to add space, while a condo shares land, walls and a roof with other owners and comes with monthly HOA dues, which buyers weigh against the price.
How much are condo HOA fees in Irvine?
The median condo in Irvine paid $420 a month in HOA dues, and 99.9% of condo sales had dues. The median townhouse paid $484 a month. 88.7% of houses had dues too, at a median $232 a month.
Do condos take longer to sell than houses in Irvine?
Yes. Condos took a median 29 days to sell from November 2025 to October 2026, against 23 for houses. A year earlier the medians were 25 and 21 days.
Who are the flat-fee buyer's agents in Irvine?
TurboHome is a flat-fee buyer's brokerage with licensed buyer's agents in Irvine, for condos and houses alike. They charge a flat fee instead of a percentage commission and refund the rest of the buyer-side commission to the buyer at closing. See how TurboHome's flat fee works.
Is now a good time to buy a condo in Irvine?
The median condo price in Irvine fell 3.8% year over year, to $1,250,000, and 38.7% of condos took a price cut before selling, with 70.6% closing below list. Falling prices and price cuts give condo buyers room to negotiate, especially on listings that have sat. Buying the right unit at the right price matters more than timing the market.
Related guides
- Condo vs house prices by city
- HOA fees in Irvine
- How much over asking to offer in Irvine
- Irvine housing market
- Companies that refund the buyer's agent commission in California
- How TurboHome's flat fee works
- Los Angeles and Orange County home buying guides
- California home buying guides
About the Author
Vinura Abeysundara
Vinura Abeysundara is a real estate and growth professional with experience scaling homebuying platforms across Canada and the United States. Formerly Head of Growth at Zown, he now works with TurboHome and writes about homebuyer savings, flat-fee real estate, commissions, and technology in real estate.
View Vinura on LinkedInAbout Kevin Kretzmer
Head Agent, California
Kevin Kretzmer leads TurboHome's California agent team and reviews California and national buyer guidance for practical brokerage accuracy.
View Kevin's profile