sell · san carlos
Selling a home in San Carlos
In San Carlos, 59% of sales since January 2024 closed over asking, with a median overbid of $188K, and its median sale price of $2.50M in the last 12 months was the 8th highest of the 25 cities with 100+ sales in the last 12 months. Here’s what the numbers say, what’s different about selling here, and the homes we’ve listed in and near San Carlos.
san carlos by the numbers
What the San Carlos market says right now
San Carlos closed 327 sales in the last 12 months, and 78% of them were single-family houses. Price per square foot reached $1,421 in the three months ending April 2025, its highest three-month reading so far; July–September 2026 came in at $1,377.
- median sale price$2.50Mlast 12 months, 327 sales; Silicon Valley $1.65M
- over asking59%of 821 sales since January 2024; median overbid $188K
- $3M–5M69%of 199 sales in that band since January 2024 closed over asking
- best closing monthApril74% over asking, against 46% in January; October is busiest
Source: closed MLS sales, Boyenga Team analysis, October 2026. Recent 12 months = October 2025 to September 2026; over and under asking = January 2024 to September 2026; best month = averaged over 2012–2025. See San Carlos by the numbers.
what’s different here
What sellers in San Carlos should plan for
What we plan for on San Carlos listings.
Bidding depends on the neighborhood
measured: 24 months
In the 24 months to October 27, 2026, counting all home types, Clearfield Park (10.5% over, on 19 sales), White Oaks (4.1%) and Devonshire (3.4%) sold furthest over asking. In Brittan Heights & Crestview the typical sale closed at asking and in Howard Park 0.1% over, but houses alone sold a typical 3.2% over in both (41 and 48 house sales). A citywide figure won’t price your house, so we start from your neighborhood’s record and your kind of home.
Houses and condos sell differently
measured: 78% houses
78% of San Carlos sales in the last 12 months were single-family houses. In the two years to October 27, 2026, 63% of house sales closed over asking, against 32% of condo and townhome sales (49% of townhomes and 26% of condos). The typical house sold for $2.7M, the typical townhome for $1.66M and the typical condo for $950K. We price against sales of your kind of home, not the city median.
Fire zones, mostly in Brittan Heights & Crestview
measured: 11% of lots
Across our eight San Carlos guides, 959 of the 8,411 single-family lots (11%) are at least partly in a CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone: 354 High and 605 Moderate, none Very High. Brittan Heights & Crestview has 663 of them (79% of its 841 lots, including all 354 High), and Devonshire, which includes an unincorporated San Mateo County pocket, has 239. Depending on the zone and the kind of area, a zone can bring stricter building standards for new construction and additions, defensible-space rules and a line on the seller’s natural hazard disclosure; the building department for the address (the city’s, or the county’s on unincorporated land) can say which apply.
Flood and earthquake zones
measured: parcel centers
Across our eight San Carlos guides, 85 of the 8,411 single-family lots (1%) have their parcel center in a FEMA high-risk flood zone, all AE, and 71 of them are in Clearfield Park (15% of its lots). If the house itself is in an A or V zone, lenders on federally backed mortgages require flood insurance; a flood zone determination for the address settles it. Counting parcel centers again, 3,234 lots (38%) are in a state liquefaction zone, including all 476 in Clearfield Park and 1,840 of the 2,093 in White Oaks, and 1,383 (16%) are in an earthquake-induced landslide zone, most of them in Devonshire (412), North San Carlos (386) and Beverly Terrace & the Highlands (302). Sellers must disclose when a home is in one.
Price by the street
measured: five years
From October 1, 2021 to October 21, 2026, the median San Carlos house sold for $2.52M, or $1,357 per square foot. Among San Carlos streets with at least 6 house sales, Carmelita Dr in Beverly Terrace & the Highlands had the highest median ($3.83M, 7 sales) and Inverness Dr in Clearfield Park the lowest ($1.5M); Park Ave in White Oaks sold for the most per square foot ($1,729). Brittan Ave had the most house sales, 48. Two streets a few blocks apart can sell far apart, so we price from the sales on and near your street.
Timing and transfer tax
measured and county
Averaged over 2012–2025, April closings sold over asking most often (74%) and January closings least (46%). October has the most closings, about 11% of the year’s sales, and 66% of them went over asking. An April closing typically means an accepted offer in March, with the listing before that. San Carlos adds no city transfer tax, so the San Mateo County tax of $1.10 per $1,000 comes to $2,200 on a $2 million sale. By local custom the seller pays it, and in San Mateo County the buyer usually pays the escrow fee and the owner’s title policy, the reverse of Santa Clara County. All of it is negotiable, and the purchase contract decides.
Best month to sell in San Carlos · San Mateo County transfer tax
our sales
Homes we’ve listed and sold in and near San Carlos
We’ve matched one San Carlos sale to MLS records: a home we listed in 2014.
sold Mar 2014 · san carlos
$752K
400 Portofino Drive #1 · Beverly Terrace & the Highlands
2 bd · 2 ba · 1,570 sq ft
7.7% over the final list price of $698KListed by the Boyenga Team
For the one home we listed here, the sold record shows the final list price: it closed over asking. The final list price is the asking price after any price changes. Source: closed MLS records, read October 27, 2026.
The homes we’ve listed closest to San Carlos, in nearby cities:
sold Jan 2020 · redwood city
$1.60M
630 Warren Street #13 · Greater Downtown
3 bd · 3.5 ba · 1,579 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold May 2022 · redwood city
$825K
464 Clinton Street #302 · Mount Carmel & Eagle Hill
2 bd · 2 ba · 1,141 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Aug 2014 · redwood city
$1.40M
681 Edgecliff Way · Farm Hill & Canyon
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,790 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team
sold Aug 2020 · belmont
$2.68M
3918 Christian Drive · Plateau-Skymont
5 bd · 4 ba · 2,549 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
sold Aug 2019 · redwood city
$1.63M
2756 Massachusetts Avenue · Woodside Plaza
3 bd · 2 ba · 1,400 sq ft
Listed by the Boyenga Team at Compass
The neighborhood of our San Carlos sale: Beverly Terrace & the Highlands.
our plan
How we’d sell your San Carlos home
The same Property Nerd plan we run on every listing, tuned to San Carlos.
Price against the right sales
We start with the closest recent sales in your neighborhood and of your kind of house, then read the competition that week. In San Carlos that means pricing to your street and your kind of home: from October 2021 to October 2026, the median house on San Carlos streets with 6 or more sales ran from $1.5M on Inverness Dr to $3.83M on Carmelita Dr.
Prepare what buyers notice
Paint, light, landscaping and staging, budgeted in the Prep Lab, with Compass Concierge to front eligible costs. For a condo or townhome, where 32% of sales in the two years to October 27, 2026 closed over asking, price and preparation have to be right on day one.
Disclose early
Inspections and disclosures ready before launch, so buyers make offers on facts. In San Carlos that includes the Natural Hazard Disclosure report: a fire hazard zone can put a line on it, and 663 of the 841 lots in Brittan Heights & Crestview touch one.
Launch on purpose
A private or Coming Soon start if it fits, then the full launch; the Launch Lab shows the plan. April closings sold over asking most often; an April closing typically means an accepted offer in March.
Negotiate and close
We compare offers on price, terms and certainty, then run escrow to closing.
The San Carlos data series
our own analysis
More from the series
by price and place
Seller tools
plan your numbers
Looking for an agent rather than a plan? Meet Eric & Janelle Boyenga · San Carlos neighborhood guides
questions
Questions San Carlos sellers ask us
How often do San Carlos homes sell over asking?
From January 2024 to September 2026, 59% of 821 San Carlos sales closed above the final list price, with a median overbid of $188K. 29% closed below it, with a median discount of $79K. In the $3M–5M band, 69% of 199 sales closed over asking. Across Silicon Valley, 60% closed over asking.
When is the best time to sell in San Carlos?
Averaged over 2012–2025, San Carlos closings in April sold over asking most often (74%) and January closings least often (46%). October has the most closings, about 11% of the year’s sales. An April closing typically means an accepted offer in March, with the listing before that.
Is my San Carlos home in a fire hazard zone?
Across our eight San Carlos guides, 959 of the 8,411 single-family lots (11%) are at least partly in a CAL FIRE fire hazard severity zone, 354 High and 605 Moderate, none Very High. Brittan Heights & Crestview has 663 of them and Devonshire 239. Depending on the zone and the kind of area, a zone can bring stricter building standards for new construction and additions, defensible-space rules and a line on the seller’s natural hazard disclosure; the building department for the address (the city’s, or the county’s on unincorporated land) can say which apply.
Is my San Carlos home in a flood or earthquake zone?
Across our eight guides, 85 of the 8,411 single-family lots (1%) have their parcel center in a FEMA high-risk flood zone (all AE), 71 of them in Clearfield Park. If the house itself is in an A or V zone, lenders on federally backed mortgages require flood insurance; a flood zone determination for the address settles it. 3,234 of the lots (38%) have their parcel center in a state liquefaction zone and 1,383 (16%) in an earthquake-induced landslide zone, and sellers must disclose when a home is in one, so we order the Natural Hazard Disclosure report early.
How do San Carlos condos and townhomes sell?
In the two years to October 27, 2026, 135 condos and townhomes sold in San Carlos: 37 townhomes and 98 condos. The typical one sold for $1.24M, or $839 per square foot, against $2.7M for a typical house. 32% closed over the final list price, against 63% of houses, and the median sale closed at the list price.
Does San Carlos charge a transfer tax?
No. San Carlos adds no city transfer tax, so only the San Mateo County tax applies: $1.10 per $1,000 of the sale price, or $2,200 on a $2 million sale. By local custom the seller pays the county tax, and in San Mateo County the buyer usually pays the escrow fee and the owner’s title policy, the reverse of Santa Clara County. All of it is negotiable, and the purchase contract decides.
What do you charge to sell a San Carlos home?
Commissions are negotiable. We offer bundled services, so ask us what’s included.
talk to a property nerd
Thinking about selling in San Carlos?
We’ll pull the closest sales to your house, walk through prep and timing, and tell you what we’d do. No pressure and no obligation.
eric boyenga dre 01254725 · janelle boyenga dre 01254724 · compass · equal housing opportunity
Thinking about selling in San Carlos? Send us a note.
Eric & Janelle Boyenga
Realtors DRE01254724 / 01254725
Realtors DRE01254724 / 01254725