Irvine real estate:
houses for sale and a local broker.
Houses for sale in Irvine sit in planned villages, each built in its own era with its own association and, in many newer ones, a Mello-Roos special tax. Irvine's median sale price for July-September 2026 was $1,449,310. Median days on market: 61. Village, tract age and tax shape any one price.
Greg reviews every request and replies with a written valuation.
Irvine was planned before it was built. In the late 1950s the University of California asked the Irvine Company for 1,000 acres for a new campus, and the architect William Pereira and Irvine Company planner Raymond Watson laid out a city around it in villages. Irvine incorporated on December 28, 1971 and counted 307,670 residents at the 2020 census. When you look at houses for sale in Irvine, the village matters as much as the house: it tells you the builder era, the association and whether a Mello-Roos tax comes with the bill.
Irvine · July-September 2026 · Source: Redfin Data Center
Which houses for sale in Irvine are listed now?
The houses for sale in Irvine listed today are in the strip below, from the MLS with each listing brokerage credited. Greg can set any of them beside the recent resales in its village and the new homes builders are offering nearby.
How is the Irvine housing market moving right now?
The Irvine housing market for July-September 2026 is summed up in the card above: the median sale price, homes sold, days on market and sale-to-list ratio, from Redfin Data Center. Irvine homes sold at 97.5% of list price that month. The median's change on a year earlier: -6.5%.
Two things make Irvine's figures behave differently from a coastal city's. Irvine sells far more homes each month than Newport Beach, so its median is steadier and a few large sales move it less. And Irvine still has new construction, mainly in the villages around the Great Park and in the northern foothills, so resale sellers compete with builders offering incentives on brand-new homes. When builder incentives grow, resale homes nearby often need sharper pricing.
The best read for a single home is the resale record in its own village and tract over the last few months. The Orange County market report shows how Irvine compares with the county over two years.
- Incorporated December 28, 1971 (source)
- Population 307,670 at the 2020 census (source)
- Area 65.92 square miles (source)
- Origins planned around a University of California campus on land requested from the Irvine Company in 1959 (source)
- Great Park built on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, which closed on July 2, 1999 (source)
- El Toro annexation late 2003, adding 7.3 square miles to the city (source)
- Mello-Roos Community Facilities Districts formed under the 1982 Act, plus 1913/1915 Act assessment districts (source)
- School districts Irvine Unified serves most of the city; Tustin Unified serves parts of the west and north (source)
- Shady Canyon guard-gated Irvine Company community zoned for up to about 400 homes (source)
Which villages and communities make up Irvine?
Irvine is divided into villages, each with its own builder era, street plan and homeowners association. The list below gives one factual line for some of the most searched. Community guides for Shady Canyon and Turtle Rock are being written now.
Shady Canyon. A guard-gated Irvine Company community of custom estates in the hills on the city's southern side, built around a private golf club.
Turtle Rock. A hillside village near the University of California campus, with a wide range of home sizes and styles.
University Park and Rancho San Joaquin. Among the earliest villages, close to the university campus, with older homes.
Woodbridge. A village built around two man-made lakes, North Lake and South Lake, with greenbelts and a large stock of townhomes and detached homes.
Northwood. A village in the north of the city, with tree-lined streets and a mix of detached homes and townhomes.
Great Park Neighborhoods. Newer tracts on the land around the Great Park, where many homes sit inside a Community Facilities District.
Portola Springs and Orchard Hills. Newer villages in the northern foothills, with more recent construction.
Quail Hill. A village near the Irvine Spectrum, with a mix of condos, townhomes and detached homes.
Villages, not neighbourhoods
Each village has its own association, builder era and, in many newer ones, a special tax. Two homes the same size can carry very different monthly costs. Orange County homes for sale
What does Mello-Roos mean for an Irvine buyer?
Mello-Roos in Irvine is a special tax charged in a Community Facilities District to repay bonds that built roads, parks, schools and other public works in newer villages. Districts are formed under the Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982, and the tax appears on the property tax bill on top of the 1 percent base rate set by Proposition 13.
Homes in villages developed in the 1980s and later may carry it, and older villages such as the first tracts around the university mostly do not. The amount depends on the district's rate formula and often on the home's size or lot. Some special taxes end when the bonds are repaid, and others continue indefinitely to pay for services. The City of Irvine also administers older assessment districts formed under the 1913 and 1915 Acts, which work differently.
For a buyer, the practical step is simple: get the current property tax bill for any home you are serious about, find the special tax line and its end year, and compare homes on their full monthly cost. A cheaper house with a large special tax can cost more each month than a pricier one without it. The seller must disclose the tax, but it pays to see the number before you write an offer.
Should you buy a new home or a resale in Irvine?
A new home in Irvine comes with a builder's warranty, current energy codes and the builder's incentives, while a resale usually comes with a lower special tax, mature landscaping and room to negotiate on price. Both are common here, because Irvine is still adding new villages.
Buying new has its own process. The builder's sales office represents the builder, so a buyer who wants their own representation should bring an agent on the first visit, since builders often require the agent to register the buyer at that first visit. Builder contracts are the builder's forms, often with limits on inspections and on changes after signing, so read them before the deposit. Ask for the Mello-Roos rate and method of apportionment for the tract, since special taxes in newer villages can be substantial, and confirm the association dues and what they cover.
Buying a resale means comparing the home against the new ones nearby. If a builder down the road is offering a rate buydown or upgrades, a resale seller may need to match some of that value in price or credits. Greg sets the two side by side on full monthly cost so the choice rests on what each home costs to own.
Condos and townhomes in Irvine: what should you check?
Condos and townhomes make up a large share of Irvine's homes, and the checks are the same as anywhere in the county with one addition. Read the association's budget, reserve study and recent minutes, confirm the dues and what they cover, and check whether the project is approved for the FHA or VA loan you plan to use. Then add the special tax: many Irvine attached homes sit inside a Community Facilities District, and the Mello-Roos line can change the monthly cost more than the dues do.
What is it like to live in Irvine?
Irvine is a city of villages, greenbelts and open space, with the University of California campus near its centre and John Wayne Airport on its western edge. The Orange County Great Park, on the former Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, is a project area of nearly 1,300 acres with more than 500 acres developed, according to the City of Irvine.
Getting around is mostly by freeway: the 5 and the 405 cross the city, and the 133 and 261 toll roads link it to the coast and the foothills. The Irvine Spectrum and the Irvine Business Complex near the airport are the two large commercial districts at the city's edges.
Irvine Unified School District serves most of the city and Tustin Unified serves parts of the west and north. Boundaries follow streets rather than village names, so check each district's lookup for the exact address and confirm attendance with the district.
Canyon estates in Irvine
Shady Canyon and Turtle Rock sit against open hills on the city's south side. The luxury guide covers how those homes are priced. Luxury homes in Orange County
Looking for a realtor in Irvine?
Look for an agent who knows Irvine village by village, because the association, builder era, school district boundary and Mello-Roos tax change from one to the next and buyers price all four. Check the licence first on the California Department of Real Estate's public lookup. Then ask how the agent would price your home against both resales and the new homes builders are offering nearby, since new construction with incentives is the competition many Irvine sellers face.
Ask to see a written pricing analysis, not a range from a website. For a canyon estate in Shady Canyon or Turtle Rock, ask how the agent finds the few true comparables and adjusts for lot and view. Greg Toussieng is a California real estate broker, DRE #01495415, first licensed in California in 2005. He works from a Santa Ana office a few minutes from Irvine and prices each home from a written analysis of nearby sales.
Buying or selling in Irvine? Ask Greg for the sales in your village.
What should you know about selling a home in Irvine?
Selling a home in Irvine starts with two comparisons: recent resales in your own village and tract, and any new homes on offer nearby. Irvine homes went under contract in a median 61 days in July-September 2026.
Buyers in Irvine often compare floor plans across tracts built by the same builder, so the model, the lot position and the upgrades carry real weight in the price. A home backing onto a greenbelt or with a view will sell differently from the same plan on an interior street. The special tax matters too: buyers see the full property tax bill, and a home with a lower special tax can command a little more.
Greg prices from those comparisons in writing, prepares the home for photography room by room and gathers the association and tax documents early, so a buyer's questions do not stall escrow.
Greg prepares a written valuation from recent sales near you. Start with the address.
Are there luxury homes in Irvine?
Irvine's luxury homes sit mainly in Shady Canyon, a guard-gated community of custom estates, and in parts of Turtle Rock, with larger homes on hillside lots. Both back onto open hills on the city's southern side. Prices at this level rest on very few comparable sales, so the written analysis matters more than it does for a tract home. The luxury homes guide covers how these homes are marketed.
Which cities near Irvine should you compare?
Buyers who look in Irvine often compare Newport Beach to the south and Santa Ana and Tustin to the north. Newport Beach offers harbour, beach and gated hillside homes a few miles from the Irvine line. Santa Ana has older homes, including historic districts of Craftsman and Spanish Revival houses. Tustin gets its own guide next. For the whole county, see Orange County homes for sale.
Own a home in Irvine?
See what it would sell for this month against resales and new homes nearby. Get a written home value
What does it take to buy a home in Irvine?
Irvine homes sold for a median $1,449,310 in July-September 2026 (Redfin Data Center), with 796 homes for sale and a median 61 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 Irvine home is conforming or jumbo.
Irvine · 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 Irvine? 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 Irvine.
Irvine 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 Irvine?
Irvine's median sale price for July-September 2026 was $1,449,310, from Redfin Data Center. The figure blends condos and townhomes with detached houses and canyon estates across dozens of villages, so a single village can sit well above or below it. The closer guide is the recent sales in the village and tract you are looking at.
How fast do homes sell in Irvine?
Irvine homes went under contract in a median 61 days in July-September 2026. Pace varies by village and type: newer detached homes and well-priced townhomes often move faster than the city median, while large estates in Shady Canyon or Turtle Rock can take longer because fewer buyers shop at that price.
Is Irvine a buyer's or seller's market?
Irvine homes sold at 97.5% of list price in July-September 2026. When that figure sits at or above 100 percent and homes sell within a few weeks, sellers hold the edge. When it falls below and listings sit, buyers can negotiate. Newly built homes from the Irvine Company and other builders add supply that resale sellers compete with.
What are property taxes and Mello-Roos in Irvine?
Property tax in Irvine starts at 1 percent of the purchase price under Proposition 13, plus voter-approved charges. Many villages built from the 1980s on also sit in a Community Facilities District and pay a Mello-Roos special tax on the same bill. The amount and end year vary by district, so ask for the current bill on any home before you offer.
Which neighbourhoods in Irvine are guard-gated?
Shady Canyon is Irvine's best-known guard-gated community, an Irvine Company enclave of custom estates zoned for up to about 400 homes around a private golf club. Several other villages have gated enclaves with resident gates rather than staffed guard gates. Check the association documents for any home to confirm how its entry works.
Which school district serves my Irvine address?
Irvine Unified School District serves most of Irvine, and Tustin Unified School District serves parts of the city's western and northern areas, according to the City of Irvine. Boundaries follow streets, not village names, so check each district's boundary lookup for the exact address before you buy and confirm with the district.
How much is my Irvine home worth?
An Irvine home's value comes from recent sales in the same village and tract, adjusted for model, lot, upgrades, condition and the home's Mello-Roos tax. Enter your address in the home-value box and Greg Toussieng, a California real estate broker, sends a written comparative market analysis with each comparable sale shown.
Is the median Irvine home price above the Orange County conforming loan limit?
Yes. The median Irvine sale price was $1,449,310 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.
- U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: Irvine city, California (2020 population) · checked 2026-10-28
- Irvine, California: incorporation, area, master plan, villages, El Toro annexation, Mello-Roos · checked 2026-10-28
- City of Irvine: Community Facilities Districts (Mello-Roos) and assessment districts · checked 2026-10-28
- City of Irvine: About the Great Park · checked 2026-10-28
- Orange County Great Park: former MCAS El Toro, closed July 2, 1999 · checked 2026-10-28
- City of Irvine: Irvine Unified and Tustin Unified school districts · checked 2026-10-28
- Orange County Business Journal: Shady Canyon zoned for up to 400 homes · checked 2026-10-28
- California Government Code §53311: Mello-Roos Community Facilities Act of 1982 · checked 2026-10-28
- California State Board of Equalization: Proposition 13 and the 1% base rate · checked 2026-10-28
- Woodbridge, Irvine: village built around North Lake and South Lake · checked 2026-10-28
- HUD FHA approved condominium search · 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.