Mammoth Lakes Real Estate Market Report April 2026

Pros and Cons of Short-Term Rentals in Mammoth
Buying a Mammoth Lakes Property for Short-Term Rentals | Mammoth Lakes Real Estate

Pros of Owning a Mammoth Short-Term Rental

Strong income potential to offset costs Put your property to work for you while you aren’t using it.
Personal use + investment upside Enjoy your mountain getaway on weekends, while rental income covers 50–70%+ of mortgage, taxes, and HOA for many SoCal owners. Long-term appreciation in a premier resort town helps too.
Year-round tourism demand Skiers from LA/Bay area drive winter peaks; biking, fishing, music events, photography, and fall colors, boost shoulders.

Cons of Owning a Mammoth Short-Term Rental

Zoning & HOA barriers Most single-family homes and some condos are ineligible. Buyers often discover post-purchase can’t be rented short-term.
High taxes & regulatory burden 16% TOT/TBID + $250 annual fees and paperwork add overhead.
Seasonality & maintenance Shoulder months (April–May, October–November) see lower occupancy. Snow removal, winterization, and insurance eat profits. Competition is high with thousands of listings. These can be good times to rent to monthly guests, we have experienced success with this in recent years.
Not truly passive Guest issues, cleanings, and compliance require effort, even with help you can expect:
- 24/7 guest communication
- Calendar and rate management
- Maintenance coordination
- Housekeeping oversight
- Vendor management
- Emergency response

Mammoth Lakes Real Estate Market Report March 2026 | Mammoth Lakes Real Estate

Single-Family Homes Market Overview

The single-family home market in Mammoth Lakes experienced significant long-term growth from 2016 to 2025, with median prices rising from $721,500 in 2016 to $1,300,000, driven by strong appreciation years like 2018 (+18.71%) and 2021 (+34.46%).

As of April 1, 2026, the year-to-date data shows a sharp jump, with just 15 sales recorded at an average price of $2,190,466 and a median price of $2,170,000 (up 66.92% from 2025), alongside an average DOM of 127 days, indicating very low volume but much higher price points so far this year, likely influenced by a small number of high-end transactions.

Single-Family Residential History Mammoth Lakes

The graph below is a representation of he median single-family home pricing reflecting the table above:

Inventory Levels

Single-family home inventory in Mammoth Lakes typically follows a strong seasonal pattern, remaining relatively low (16–20 units) from January through June before rising sharply in the summer months, peaking at 31 units in August and staying elevated through September (30 units). Inventory then declines in the fall and winter, bottoming out around 16–23 units from October to March, before ticking up slightly to 22 units as of April 1, 2026.

This reflects the expected spring transition, with inventory still on the lower side compared to the summer peak.

Condominium Market Overview

The condominium market in Mammoth Lakes showed robust long-term growth from 2014 to 2025, with median prices rising from $295,000 to a peak of $795,000, supported by strong appreciation in several years, notably 27.37% in 2021 and 24.79% in 2022, and generally improving efficiency as average days on market declined from 156 to around 90 to 110 days in recent years.

As of April 1, 2026, year-to-date activity is off to a slower start with only 49 sales, an average price of $931,634, a median price of $750,000, down 5.66% from 2025, and average days on market at 100 days, suggesting a modest cooling or softer early-year momentum compared to the stronger performance in 2025.

Condominium Market History

Here’s a summary of the condominium market trends over the years:

The graph below is a representation of the median condominium pricing table above:

Inventory Levels

Condominium inventory in Mammoth Lakes follows a clear seasonal pattern, staying relatively low from January through June before rising sharply in the summer months, peaking at 129 units in August and remaining elevated through September at 127 units. As of April 1, 2026, inventory stands at 95 units, reflecting a modest seasonal increase from the winter months but remaining below the typical summer peak, suggesting a relatively balanced but not overly abundant supply of condominiums entering the spring market.