Dana Point real estate:
homes for sale and a local broker.
Homes for sale in Dana Point run from 1920s cottages in the Lantern District to Spanish-style houses in Capistrano Beach and new homes on the headlands above the harbour. Median sale price for July-September 2026: $2,099,000. Median days on market: 47. Ocean view and bluff position set prices.
Greg reviews every request and replies with a written valuation.
Dana Point is a small coastal city built around a harbour, and its homes are priced by their relation to the water. The city covers just 6.8 square miles, with 33,107 residents at the 2020 census, but it holds several distinct markets: the Lantern District's grid of older cottages above the harbour, Capistrano Beach's Spanish-style houses near Doheny State Beach, Monarch Beach on the city's northern edge, and new homes on the headlands at the Strand. Homes for sale in Dana Point share one thing: almost every price starts with the view.
Dana Point · July-September 2026 · Source: Redfin Data Center
Which homes for sale in Dana Point are listed right now?
The current homes for sale in Dana Point are below, from the MLS with the listing brokerage named on each, updating as homes list and close. When one interests you, Greg can send recent sales of homes with a similar outlook and distance from the water, since those two factors set most Dana Point prices.
What is happening in the Dana Point housing market right now?
Dana Point's market is small, so its monthly figures move more than those of a large city. Dana Point recorded 113 sales over July-September 2026, a three-month total, and homes closed at 98.3% of their list price. Year over year, the median moved +16.6%.
With fewer sales each month, a couple of oceanfront or headland closings can shift the median far more than the market has actually changed. For any one home, the useful comparison is the recent sales with the same kind of view, from a whitewater view on the bluff to a harbour view or a sliver of ocean between rooflines.
Dana Point had 126 homes listed for sale in the period. The 2020 census counted 16,254 housing units in the city, 12.3 percent of them vacant on census day, a figure that includes seasonal and second homes along with homes between owners or tenants. The Orange County market report compares the city with the county.
- Incorporated January 1, 1989, as Orange County's 28th city (source)
- Population 33,107 at the 2020 census (source)
- Area 6.8 square miles, 6.5 of them land (source)
- Housing 16,254 housing units at the 2020 census, 12.3 percent vacant on census day (source)
- Dana Point Harbor built in the 1960s and dedicated July 31, 1971; the Catalina Express departs from it (source)
- Lantern District the historic core, with streets named for the coloured lanterns once used by trading ships, such as Street of the Blue Lantern (source)
- Doheny State Beach 41.4 acres given to the state in 1931 by the Doheny family company (source)
- The Strand at Headlands homes on former Chandler family land, with a nature preserve on the bluff and public beach improvements funded by a Mello-Roos assessment on the homes (source)
- Festival of Whales held each year since the early 1970s (source)
- Schools Capistrano Unified School District (source)
Which neighbourhoods make up Dana Point?
Dana Point's neighbourhoods run along the coast, each with its own era of homes and its own relationship to the water.
The Lantern District. The historic core above the harbour, with streets named for the coloured lanterns trading ships once hung, such as Street of the Violet Lantern and Street of the Blue Lantern. Developers planned it in the 1920s, and some original cottages remain among newer homes and the condos and shops along Pacific Coast Highway. Harbour and ocean views from the streets above the harbour carry a premium.
The Strand at Headlands. Homes built on the headlands land that the Chandler family once held, above Strands Beach. As part of the approval, the developer turned the bluff into a nature preserve and built public access to the beach, which homeowners help maintain through a Mello-Roos assessment.
Capistrano Beach. The southern end of the city near Doheny State Beach and San Clemente. In 1928 the Doheny family began a development of Spanish-style houses with red tile roofs here, and some of those homes stand among later houses on the bluffs and along the beach road.
Monarch Beach. The northern coastal edge toward Laguna Niguel and Salt Creek, developed by the Laguna Niguel Corporation and part of Dana Point since its residents voted to join the new city. Its first tracts date from the early 1960s, and larger custom homes sit near the Monarch Beach golf course.
Niguel Shores and the inland streets. Niguel Shores sits on the bluffs near the Strand, where bluff erosion has been an ongoing issue. Inland, streets rising toward the Laguna Niguel line have single-family tracts and condos, often with partial ocean views.
What is it like to live in Dana Point?
Living in Dana Point centres on the harbour and the beaches. Dana Point Harbor has marinas, shops and restaurants, and the Catalina Express leaves from it for Avalon. The Ocean Institute sits at the harbour below the point, with tide pools nearby. The high cliffs are a common spot to watch for whales and dolphins, and the city has held an annual Festival of Whales since the early 1970s.
Doheny State Beach began as a 41.4-acre gift from the Doheny family in 1931. Salt Creek Beach and Strands Beach lie to the north. The Salt Creek Trail runs inland from the coast to Laguna Niguel Regional Park.
Pacific Coast Highway runs the length of the city, and the 5 is a short drive inland through San Juan Capistrano or up Crown Valley Parkway. Schools are in the Capistrano Unified School District.
Whitewater, harbour or a slice of blue
Each kind of ocean view in Dana Point has its own price. Greg compares a home with recent sales that share its outlook and its distance from the water. Get a written home value
Looking for a realtor in Dana Point?
Look for an agent who can price Dana Point's views and coastal rules, because a bluff-top lot, a harbour view and an inland home with a glimpse of ocean are three different markets. Start with the California Department of Real Estate's public licence lookup. Then ask for Dana Point homes the agent has priced, with the comparable sales behind each figure.
For a coastal or bluff home, ask how they handle coastal permits, erosion reports and insurance. For a home at the Strand or in an association, ask about assessments, dues, rental rules and how they would reach second-home buyers. Greg Toussieng is a California real estate broker, DRE #01495415, first licensed in California in 2005. His Orange County office is up the 5, and he prices every Dana Point home from a written analysis of comparable nearby sales.
Selling in Dana Point? Ask Greg for recent sales of homes with a view like yours.
The guide to choosing a listing agent covers the questions worth asking before you sign.
What should you know about selling a home in Dana Point?
Selling a home in Dana Point starts with showing the view honestly and documenting the coast-specific details buyers will ask about. Dana Point homes went under contract in a median 47 days over July-September 2026.
Greg sets a price from sales with a similar outlook, then builds a plan for the most likely buyer. For a view home, that means photography and video from the rooms and terraces that face the water, at the time of day the light is best. For an older cottage in the Lantern District or Capistrano Beach, it can mean presenting the lot and its potential as well as the house.
Coastal paperwork matters. Much of Dana Point lies inside California's coastal zone, where additions, rebuilds and some remodels need coastal development permits. Bluff-top and beach-adjacent homes may have geotechnical reports and erosion history buyers will want to see. Gather permits, reports and association documents before listing so escrow does not stall on them.
Greg prepares a written valuation from recent sales near you. Start with the address.
What do Dana Point luxury homes look like?
Dana Point luxury homes are mostly oceanfront and bluff-top houses with open whitewater views, newer homes at the Strand at Headlands, and large custom homes near Monarch Beach. The most valued combine an unobstructed ocean view with direct or near access to the sand, and they sell to a small pool of buyers who often compare them with homes up the coast.
Because high-end sales are few, each one needs a careful comparison with recent sales in the same community and similar settings in Laguna Beach and Newport Coast. The Orange County luxury homes guide compares all the coastal markets.
Harbour, headlands or Capistrano Beach?
Tell Greg the view and setting you want, and he will send Dana Point listings with recent sales of similar homes. Buying with Greg
Should you buy a condo near the harbour or a house inland in Dana Point?
The choice in Dana Point usually comes down to view and location against space and running costs. Condos and townhomes near the harbour and Pacific Coast Highway put you within a short walk of the water and the Lantern District, often with a harbour or ocean view, but they come with association dues, shared walls and rules on rentals and remodels. A house on the inland streets gives you a yard and more room, sometimes with only a partial view.
Buyers who plan to use a home part of the year often lean toward the lock-and-leave condo. Buyers who will live there full time often choose the house. Greg sets the options side by side with dues, insurance and taxes included, so the comparison is on the full monthly cost.
What should a buyer check before an offer in Dana Point?
A Dana Point buyer should check coastal permits, bluff stability, insurance and any special assessments. Ask for permits on additions and rebuilds, including coastal development permits. On bluff-top or beach lots, read any geotechnical reports and ask about erosion and past repairs. For homes at the Strand, review the Mello-Roos charge on the tax bill, and for any association, review its reserves and rental rules.
Then check how the view could change. A view across a neighbour's roof can shrink if they rebuild, unless rules or recorded agreements protect it. Greg pulls the comparable sales for every home a buyer is serious about, and points out what in the setting could change.
How did Dana Point become a city?
Dana Point became a city on January 1, 1989, after voters approved incorporation in 1988, making it Orange County's 28th city. Residents wanted local control over planning on a coastline that had grown under county rule. The new city's boundary set off a dispute with Laguna Niguel over Monarch Beach, which the Laguna Niguel Corporation had developed but whose residents voted 61 percent to join Dana Point.
Which cities near Dana Point should you compare?
Buyers looking at Dana Point often compare Laguna Niguel, Laguna Beach and Mission Viejo. Laguna Niguel, directly inland, offers ocean-view hillsides set back from the coast. Laguna Beach, up the coast, has older coastal neighbourhoods and guard-gated enclaves. Mission Viejo, further inland, has planned tracts and a private lake.
For the whole county, see Orange County homes for sale.
Own a home in Dana Point?
Find out what it would sell for now, based on sales of homes with a similar view and setting. Get a written home value
What does it take to buy a home in Dana Point?
Dana Point homes sold for a median $2,099,000 in July-September 2026 (Redfin Data Center), with 126 homes for sale and a median 47 days on market. Loans above $1,249,125, the 2026 Orange County conforming limit, are jumbo loans. The median price here is above that limit, so the size of your down payment decides whether a loan on a typical Dana Point home is conforming or jumbo.
Dana Point · July-September 2026 · Market: Redfin Data Center · Loan limit: FHFA 2026, via Choice Home Mortgage's Orange County loan limits
Put in your own price, down payment and rate to see a payment. Nothing here is a loan offer.
Run the numbers
Financing a home in Dana Point? Esther Buede at Choice Home Mortgage
Esther works with Greg on the loan side of a purchase, from conforming loans to jumbo loans on the coast. Choice Home Mortgage, NMLS #2629064, has a page on buying and financing in Orange County.
Orange County home loans with Esther Buede
Gregory James Group and Choice Home Mortgage are trade names of the same California company, Montana Real Estate Inc (CA DRE #01822046, NMLS #2629064), which Greg Toussieng owns. If we represent you in a purchase or sale and you also arrange your loan through Choice Home Mortgage, the company is paid for both services. You are not required to use Choice Home Mortgage to work with Gregory James Group, and you are free to compare loans from any other lender. When we refer you, we give you a written disclosure of this relationship and the estimated charges, and when we act as both your agent and your loan broker we confirm both roles in writing within 24 hours.
Common questions
What is the median home price in Dana Point, California?
Dana Point's median sale price for July-September 2026 was $2,099,000, according to Redfin Data Center. Dana Point is a small city with a wide range of homes, so a few oceanfront or headland sales in one month can move the median sharply. Recent sales of homes with a similar view and distance from the water are the better guide.
How fast do homes sell in Dana Point?
Dana Point homes went under contract in a median 47 days over July-September 2026. Updated homes with ocean views, priced from comparable sales, usually sell fastest. Oceanfront and headland estates have fewer buyers at any time and often take longer, and condos depend on their association's reserves, insurance and rental rules.
Is Dana Point a buyer's or seller's market?
Dana Point homes sold at 98.3% of list price over July-September 2026, with 126 homes listed for sale in the period. A ratio near or above 100 percent means sellers have held firm. Below it, buyers have negotiated, most often on high-end homes that have been listed longer than the median.
Which school district serves Dana Point?
Capistrano Unified School District serves Dana Point. Boundaries inside the district decide which elementary, middle and high school serve a given address, and they can change. Use the district's school locator for the exact address before writing an offer, and confirm the assignment directly with the district.
Do homes at the Strand in Dana Point pay Mello-Roos?
Homeowners at the Strand at Headlands pay a Mello-Roos assessment that funds upkeep of the public beach improvements built as part of the development. The amount varies by property. The seller's tax bill and the preliminary title report show the exact charge, and buyers should review both before removing contingencies.
Is Monarch Beach part of Dana Point?
Monarch Beach is part of Dana Point. The Laguna Niguel Corporation developed it, but when both cities were forming in the late 1980s, its residents voted 61 percent to join Dana Point. Dana Point incorporated on January 1, 1989, and Laguna Niguel incorporated later that year without the coastal strip.
How much is my Dana Point home worth?
A Dana Point home's value comes from recent sales of similar homes nearby, adjusted for ocean view, bluff or beach position, lot, condition and association. Enter the address in the home-value box on this page and Greg Toussieng, a California real estate broker, sends a written comparative market analysis listing every sale he used.
Is the median Dana Point home price above the Orange County conforming loan limit?
Yes. The median Dana Point sale price was $2,099,000 for July-September 2026, from Redfin Data Center. Loans above $1,249,125, the 2026 Orange County conforming limit set by the FHFA, are jumbo loans. Because the median price is above that limit, your down payment decides whether a loan on a typical home here is conforming or jumbo.
- Dana Point, California: 2020 population, area, harbour, Lantern District, Strand, Capistrano Beach, Doheny State Beach, schools · checked 2026-10-28
- City of Dana Point: City History and Facts (incorporated January 1989) · checked 2026-10-28
- Dana Point Times: a rough road to cityhood (28th city, January 1, 1989) · checked 2026-10-28
- Laguna Niguel, California: Monarch Beach vote to join Dana Point · checked 2026-10-28
- California Department of Parks and Recreation: Doheny State Beach · checked 2026-10-28
- The Log: Dana Point, a city found on surfing (local control as the reason for incorporation) · checked 2026-10-28
- California Coastal Commission: coastal development permits · checked 2026-10-28
- Capistrano Unified School District · checked 2026-10-28
- Redfin Data Center: Dana Point, rolling three months to September 2026 · checked 2026-10-28
- California DRE licence lookup · checked 2026-10-28
- FHFA: 2026 conforming loan limits (Orange County, CA: $1,249,125) · checked 2026-10-29
Start with the address. Greg does the rest.
A written valuation from recent sales near you, prepared by a licensed broker. Or call (949) 868-8820.