Pricing a home in Lamorinda isn't about picking a number that feels good or matching what your neighbor sold for last spring. The market shifts constantly, and what worked six months ago might leave you sitting on the market today, or worse, leaving serious money on the table. I've watched sellers in Orinda list too high and sit there for 65 days wondering why nobody's biting, while I've also seen Lafayette homeowners price it right from the start and watch those houses move fast, often over asking.
Here's the reality: pricing strategy matters more now than it has in years, and there are a few reasons why. We've got inventory now, and it's relatively high, especially in Orinda where the increase over normal has been pretty significant. Lafayette probably has the biggest numbers overall. And buyers? They're super picky, they're slow, and they have very little sense of urgency. They're not in a hurry to overpay, and honestly, I don't blame them.
This is about understanding what's actually happening right now in Lamorinda and using that knowledge to position your home for the best possible outcome, not what Zillow says or what your friend's cousin got for their place six months ago or what you think your renovations are worth. What the market will actually bear today.
Why Getting It Right the First Time Actually Matters
Listen, I tell every seller this: it's really important to price it right in the first place because the alternative is frustrating and expensive. I recently had a listing that started at $2.2 million and sat there for 65 days with barely any interest. We dropped it to $1.895 million, and it had only been at that new price for one day when someone made an offer. That tells you something about how focused buyers get on market time and pricing.
People walk into open houses, and you know what their first questions are? "How long has it been on the market?" and "Why is the seller selling?" They get hyper focused on days on market, even though it's not determinative by itself, but perception matters. A house that's been sitting there sends a signal, whether you want it to or not.
Great houses priced properly will sell quickly for over list, and I've seen it happen repeatedly. But if you're too high, buyers just aren't in a hurry because they'll wait, they'll watch, they'll move on to the next thing. And meanwhile, your house ages on the market, which creates its own set of problems.
The current reality is that buyers want to deduct renovation costs from your asking price even when the property is already priced for condition, and they're looking at everything with a critical eye because they can. We're not in 2020 anymore when it was like shooting fish in a barrel and buyers had no choice. Now they have options, and they're using them.
The Re-listing Strategy That Actually Works
Sometimes you price a house, and it just doesn't move, and maybe you started too high or maybe the market shifted under you. Whatever the reason, there's a strategy I use that actually works: pull the listing for 30 days, then re-list it as new.
You're not tricking anyone, you're just bringing it to the top of the pile again because when a property comes back on as a new listing, it shows up at the top of search results. Fresh eyes see it, and people who filtered it out before give it another look.
I had a recent success with this exact approach where we reduced the price by $100,000, took it off the market, re-listed it, and got $15,000 over the new list price. That's the difference between a stale listing that everyone's already seen and dismissed versus a property that feels new and generates fresh interest.
But here's the thing: this strategy works best when you've actually corrected the pricing problem, because if you just pull it and re-list at the same overpriced number, you're wasting everyone's time, including your own.
What Buyers Are Actually Thinking Right Now
Let me tell you about the buyers we're seeing in Lafayette, Moraga, and Orinda right now, because understanding them helps you understand pricing. Many of them are young families moving for the schools, some are move up buyers wanting larger homes, and a whole lot of them are hesitant because they're giving up 2.75% loans for 6% rates, which is a real psychological hurdle.
Some have accepted the new reality and are moving anyway, while others a re choosing to renovate their existing homes instead. The ones who are out there looking are serious, but they're cautious, and they're not making rushed decisions or getting caught up in bidding wars unless the house is truly special and priced right.
The market's too sophisticated for gimmicks at this point. Interest rate buy downs, seller credits, fancy incentives? None of that moves the needle like you'd think. What works is price and presentation, and that's it. Get those two things right, and everything else falls into place.
My Actual Pricing Process
When I sit down with a seller, the first thing I do is determine their agenda and timeframe because I want to understand what they're trying to accomplish, when they need to move, and what their actual situation is before we start talking numbers.
Then we talk about preparation, and properly preparing homes, staging them, cleaning them properly makes a real difference in how buyers perceive value. I'm not trying to spend a dollar to get 80 cents back, I'm trying to spend a dollar to get two or three dollars in return. But sometimes sellers don't want to do that stuff, and it's their house, so my job is to provide options and show them what it would look like if they did this versus that.
For pricing itself, I'm looking at what's sold recently, not listed but actually sold, and not three months ago either. What moved in the last 30 days? What are buyers actually paying right now? Because that's all that matters when we're setting your price.
I also look at how fast things are moving because if homes in your neighborhood are selling within two weeks, that tells me something about demand. If they're sitting for 60 days, that's a different conversation entirely. The presence of the agent matters too, and being responsive, making it easy to show the house, keeping things moving all factors into how quickly you sell and for how much.
Why Those First Two Weeks Are Critical
Those first two weeks when your house hits the market are critical, and this is when you need public open houses and broker tours. This is when the house should be lit up, and I think it's sort of ridiculous when people get so worried about their PG&E bill. We're talking about $4 a day for lights versus buyers walking into a dark house, so which do you think matters more?
Temperature should be pleasant, so heat it or cool it and make it comfortable. Don't make people walk through a freezing cold house in winter or a sweltering hot house in summer because you're trying to save $50 on utilities while your million and a half dollar asset sits on the market.
And please, make it easy to show because every barrier you put up is a reason for an agent to show a different house instead of yours. Don't require 24 hours notice, don't insist on being home for every showing, and don't create unnecessary friction.
Each Lamorinda Neighborhood Needs Its Own Approach
Each part of Lamorinda has its own personality, and that affects pricing strategy in ways that really matter. Let me walk you through what I'm seeing in each area right now.
Orinda
Orinda attracts buyers focused on schools and that suburban feel with solid access to the Caldecott, and homes near the top rated schools or with larger lots command premiums. But the condition better match the price because buyers here are sophisticated, and they know what turnkey looks like and they know what deferred maintenance costs.
Entry level homes in Orinda typically fall in the $1M to $1.4M range, family homes run $1.4M to $2.5M, and luxury estates start at $2.5M and above, especially with acreage or significant upgrades. But remember, Orinda has seen the biggest increase in inventory over what's normal, so competition among sellers is real right now.
Lafayette
Lafayette offers walkable downtown living, and that matters to a certain buyer who wants proximity to downtown, Burton Valley Elementary, or Happy Valley Elementary, which can significantly impact what someone will pay. These buyers want suburban life with urban conveniences, and they're willing to pay for it when everything lines up.
Entry level starts in the $1M to $1.4M range, family homes run $1.4M to $2.5M, and luxury properties start at $2.5M and go up from there. Lafayette probably has the biggest inventory numbers right now, which means you really need to stand out on price and presentation if you want to move quickly.
Moraga
Moraga has that small town feel and family oriented community vibe, and the Campolindo High School area is particularly desirable. Buyers here often want more space and a quieter setting compared to Lafayette or Orinda, and they're willing to go a bit further from the highway for that lifestyle.
Entry level pricing falls in the $1M to $1.4M range, most family homes sit between $1.4M and $2.5M, and luxury properties in premium locations like Rheem Valley start at $2.5M and above.
Each market requires a different approach based on current inventory and buyer behavior, so what works in downtown Lafayette won't necessarily work in the Orinda hills or quiet Moraga neighborhoods.
Real Questions from Real Sellers
Should I price low to start a bidding war?
Maybe, and it really depends on current conditions in your specific neighborhood. In the right circumstances, pricing slightly under market value can generate multiple offers and drive the price up, but this isn't 2020 where you could just throw a house on the market and expect a feeding frenzy. If inventory is low in your specific neighborhood and the house is properly prepared, this strategy can work beautifully. If the market's softer, you might just end up selling for less than you could have gotten, so it really depends on what's happening right now where your house is located.
What if the house doesn't appraise?
This happens more often than you'd think, especially when bidding pushes the price higher than recent comparables support. The buyer either needs to come up with the difference in cash, you renegotiate, or the deal falls apart. This is exactly why pricing based on solid recent sales data matters so much because appraisers use the same comps we do. If your pricing is grounded in reality and supported by actual recent sales, appraisals usually aren't a problem.
How long should I wait before adjusting price?
If you're not getting showings within the first two weeks, your price is too high, and that's just the reality of how this market works. If you're getting showings but no offers, it might be condition or how the house shows, but price could still be a factor. Generally, if you haven't had serious interest within two to three weeks, we need to talk about adjusting because waiting too long creates a stale listing that becomes harder to sell even after you finally drop the price.
Can't I just wait for the right buyer?
Sure, if you've got unlimited time and no carrying costs, but every week that goes by, your house becomes yesterday's news in buyers' minds. New listings come on that steal attention, buyers who looked once don't come back for a second look, and eventually you're dropping the price anyway, except now you're doing it from a weakened position. Price it right initially, and you won't have to wait for the right buyer because they'll come to you.
Why Emotional Connection Actually Helps
You know what I tell people? You should have emotional attachment to any property you work with because it should be personal. This is an intimate involvement in an important part of someone's finances and lifestyle, so why would you spend a million and a half dollars on something you don't feel emotional about?
I get it when sellers are attached to their homes, and you can walk into a situation and see all the challenges, but if you remember that you're working with people and their homes and it's not just a transaction, everything changes. The emotional attachment can cloud judgment sometimes, sure, but it also drives better outcomes, and it's honestly more gratifying to work with people you actually care about and want to see succeed.
Same goes for buyers, and I question buyers who say they don't want to get emotional about a purchase. Why would you buy a house that doesn't elicit emotion? It's sort of a fool's errand to treat it as a financial instrument and not be emotional about it. When people push for what they want, they're usually happier in the long run, and I've never had anyone tell me they really hate their house but they're grateful they live there because it was cheap.
The Bottom Line on Pricing Strategy
Your pricing strategy is your opening move in every negotiation that follows, and get it right and you create momentum that carries through the entire sale. Get it wrong, and you're playing catch up from day one, watching other houses sell while yours sits there getting stale.
I've spent years helping families in Lamorinda navigate exactly this challenge, and I know which neighborhoods are moving quickly, which price points are seeing the most activity, and how to position a home so it stands out in the right way. My approach is grounded in what's happening right now, not what happened last year or what might happen next quarter, because the market today is what we're dealing with.
If you're thinking about selling and want to make sure your pricing strategy actually works in this current market, let's talk because I want to understand your situation, your timeline, and what you're trying to accomplish. Then we can figure out the right approach for your specific property in this specific market with these specific conditions.
Because pricing isn't guesswork, it's strategy, and in a market where buyers are picky, slow, and have very little sense of urgency, strategy makes all the difference between a house that sells quickly for top dollar and one that sits there while you watch your equity evaporate.
Kelly Crawford
