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Costa Mesa Blog

What Costa Mesa City Hall is deciding about homes and land, this week's market, and guides written for Costa Mesa owners and buyers.

Read the desk note
Price cuts23 this weekStatus changes25+ this weekComing soonMembers see these firstBuilder deskNew construction on the MLS

At Costa Mesa City Hall

What the City Council and Planning Commission are deciding that touches homes and land: new tracts, zoning, fees and special taxes, roads. Straight from the city's official agendas.

Coming up

Tue, Oct 20 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY*, 6:00 PM

  • 1 CONTINUATION REQUEST OF THE CONSOLIDATED MASTER FEE SCHEDULE Report
  • 2 RECONSIDERATION OF A REQUEST FOR CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT PA-17-10 TO OPERATE A SOBER LIVING HOME UP TO 45 ADULTS WITHIN FIVE UNITS OPERATED BY THE OHIO HOUSE AT 115 EAST WILSON STREET, UNITS A THROUGH E Report
  • 5 CITY OF COSTA MESA NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE ALL BELONG PROPOSED ZONING CODE AMENDMENT, ZONING MAP UPDATE, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF CITYWIDE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED-USE OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS, AND REPEALING OF URBAN PLANS; PUBLIC HEARING TO CONSIDER OVERRULING THE ORANGE COUNTY AIRPORT LAND USE COMMISSION’S DETERMINATION THAT THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE ALL BELONG ZONING UPDATES AND HOUSING ELEMENT IMPLEMENTATION IS INCONSISTENT WITH THE JOHN WAYNE AIRPORT ENVIRONS LAND USE PLAN; CERTIFY THE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE ALL BELONG ZONING UPDATES AND HOUSING ELEMENT IMPLEMENTATION FINAL PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT; AMENDMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS OF THE COSTA MESA GENERAL PLAN: CIRCULATION, COMMUNITY DESIGN, LAND USE, NOISE, AND OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION; RE-ADOPT THE HOUSING ELEMENT OF THE GENERAL PLAN; AND AMENDMENTS TO THE NEWPORT BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN, NORTH COSTA MESA SPECIFIC PLAN, AND ONE METRO WEST SPECIFIC PLAN (PCTY-26-0004) ReportWhat it means for owners →
  • 1 AWARD OF THE FIRE STATION NO. 2 RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT, CITY PROJECT NO. 26-05 Report
  • 3 2026 LEASE REVENUE BONDS FOR FIRE STATION NO. 2 RECONSTRUCTION PROJECT Report
The full agenda →

Recently on the agenda

Tue, Oct 6 REGULAR CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY*

  • 1 AN APPEAL OF THE PLANNING COMMISSION’S DECISION TO UPHOLD THE ECONOMIC AND DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DIRECTOR’S DECISION TO DENY A REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION REQUEST TO DEVIATE FROM CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS OF THE ZONING CODE TO OPERATE A SOBER LIVING HOME. OPERATED BY THE OHIO HOUSE AT 115 EAST WILSON STREET, UNITS A THROUGH E Report
  • 1 ADOPTION OF ORDINANCE NO. 2026-08 ADOPTING THE FAIRVIEW DEVELOPMENTAL CENTER SPECIFIC PLAN AND RELATED AMENDMENTS TO TITLE 13 OF THE ZONING CODE AND THE ZONING MAP ReportWhat it means for owners →
  • 5 FINAL MAP FOR TRACT NO. 19334 LOCATED AT 3150 BEAR STREET, COSTA MESA Report
  • 1 REVIEW OF CONCEPTUAL DESIGN FOR OPEN PARCEL ADJACENT TO SHALIMAR PARK Report
The full agenda →

Mon, Sep 28 PLANNING COMMISSION

  • 1 CITY OF COSTA MESA NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE WE ALL BELONG PROPOSED ZONING CODE AMENDMENT, ZONING MAP UPDATE, AND ESTABLISHMENT OF CITYWIDE MULTIFAMILY RESIDENTIAL AND MIXED-USE OBJECTIVE DESIGN STANDARDS, AND REPEALING OF URBAN PLANS (PCTY-26-0004); AMENDMENTS TO THE FOLLOWING ELEMENTS OF THE COSTA MESA GENERAL PLAN: CIRCULATION, COMMUNITY DESIGN, LAND USE, NOISE, AND OPEN SPACE AND RECREATION (PGPA-26-0002); AND AMENDMENTS TO THE NEWPORT BOULEVARD SPECIFIC PLAN (PSPA-26-0003), NORTH COSTA MESA SPECIFIC PLAN (PSPA-26-0004), AND ONE METRO WEST SPECIFIC PLAN (PSPA-26-0005); CERTIFY FINAL PROGRAM ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REPORT, ADOPT FINDINGS OF FACT, STATEMENT OF OVERRIDING CONSIDERATIONS AND MITIGATION MONITORING AND REPORTING PROGRAM PURSUANT TO CEQA (CONTINUED PUBLIC HEARING) Report
  • 2 DESIGN REVIEW, TENTATIVE TRACT MAP NO. 19412, AND DENSITY BONUS (PDBR-25-0001) FOR A 21-UNIT SINGLE-FAMILY RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT AT 396 EAST 21ST STREET Report
The full agenda →

Explained for owners

From the city's official agendas, checked October 19. Only items that touch homes, land or neighborhoods are listed; the agenda is the record.

Your next 30 days in Costa Mesa

The dates a homeowner here needs between now and Sun, Nov 1.

  1. REGULAR CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY* meets

    The REGULAR CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY* meets on this date; the agenda lists what is up for a vote.

    Source: City meeting agenda →Add to calendar

  2. REGULAR CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY* meets

    The REGULAR CITY COUNCIL AND HOUSING AUTHORITY* meets on this date; the agenda lists what is up for a vote.

    Source: City meeting agenda →Add to calendar

  3. 1st installment of secured property tax is due

    The first installment of your secured property tax bill is due on this date and is late after December 10.

    Source: OC Treasurer-Tax Collector, Secured Property Taxes →Add to calendar

Dates from the county and city; check the source before you rely on one.

The desk note

A closer look at the stories shaping Costa Mesa neighborhoods this week.

Read the full brief →
Weekly desk note
Oct 19, 2026

Lowest-priced home listed in Costa Mesa this week: $265,900 on 2191 Harbor 13

The lowest-priced home listed in Costa Mesa this week is 2191 Harbor 13 at $265,900, 3 bedrooms. This week in Costa Mesa: 24 new listings, 23 price cuts, 13 closed sales and 12 homes going under contract. Data as of October 19, 2026.

Read the brief →
Weekly brief
Oct 12, 2026

Biggest Costa Mesa price cut this week: $505,000 on 2029 Harbor Boulevard

Read it →
Weekly brief
Oct 5, 2026

Lowest-priced home listed in Costa Mesa this week: $195,000 on 140 Cabrillo Street 22

Read it →

As of October 19. Listing brokerage shown on each row. A new desk note is published every Monday — subscribe via RSS. Card photography is illustrative Costa Mesa imagery, not the addresses listed.

Latest briefs

Quick reads on Costa Mesa real estate, lifestyle and the community.

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Weekly brief
Sep 28, 2026

Costa Mesa weekly desk note — week of September 28, 2026

Costa Mesa saw 13 price cuts, 18 new listings and 25 status changes this week — down from 59 last week, as of October 4, 2026.

Read the brief →
Weekly brief
Sep 22, 2026

Costa Mesa weekly desk note — week of September 21, 2026

Costa Mesa saw 13 price cuts, 21 new listings and 25 status changes this week — down from 65 last week, as of September 27, 2026.

Read the brief →
Weekly brief
Sep 17, 2026

Costa Mesa weekly desk note — week of September 14, 2026

Costa Mesa saw 17 price cuts, 23 new listings and 25 status changes this week — up from 55 last week, as of September 20, 2026.

Read the brief →
Weekly brief
Sep 7, 2026

Costa Mesa weekly desk note — week of September 7, 2026

Costa Mesa saw 11 price cuts, 19 new listings and 25 status changes this week, as of September 11, 2026.

Read the brief →
Market report
September 2026

Costa Mesa's median sale price in September: $1,400,000, $80,000 below a year ago

The median Costa Mesa home sold for $1,400,000 in September, against $1,480,000 in September 2025. In September 2026, 49 homes sold in Costa Mesa at a median $1,400,000 ($925 a square foot), after a median 16 days on the market. In August it was 53 sales at a median $1,527,000.

Read the brief →
Daily Pilot
Oct 9

As state pressure over housing mounts, Costa Mesa agrees to rehear Ohio House appeal

As a sober living home's battle to stay in Costa Mesa logs its ninth year, new thoughts on housing and compliance may be changing the legal landscape.

Headlines are the outlets' own, shown with the source named and the story left where it was published. Card photography is illustrative Costa Mesa imagery, not a photograph from the story.

Where prices moved

Closed sales by ZIP, the last twelve months against the twelve before. It tells you which side of Costa Mesa is moving, not what your house is worth.

Price my file →
92626$1,525,000Median sale price$863Median $/sq ft$1,519,000Median a year ago275Closed salesFlat vs last year
92627$1,425,000Median sale price$926Median $/sq ft$1,392,500Median a year ago296Closed salesFlat vs last year

Oct 2025–Oct 2026 against Oct 2024–Oct 2025, as of October 19, 2026.

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