Best Realtors in Middletown, CA (2026 Guide)
By Matthew Martinez
Middletown is a small unincorporated town in south Lake County on Highway 29 north of Calistoga. Buyers look at in-town homes, rural acreage on wells and septic, and nearby Hidden Valley Lake and Cobb, and many commute toward Napa and Sonoma.
This guide is published by Diamond Real Estate Group, one of the brokerages listed. Our broker is listed first; other agents are in alphabetical order. The order is not a ranking, and inclusion is not an endorsement.
How we chose the agents in this guide
Each agent below met three checks in October 2026:
- A current California license. We opened each agent’s record on the California Department of Real Estate (DRE) public lookup and confirmed the name, license type (salesperson or broker) and a "Licensed" status with a responsible broker.
- A named brokerage. Each agent’s DRE record shows the brokerage they work under.
- A public profile that names Middletown. We opened each agent’s brokerage or listing-site profile and confirmed it names Middletown as a service area or office.
We did not rank agents, and we did not consider sales volume, reviews or awards. Licenses and affiliations change, so check the license yourself before you sign anything, and interview more than one agent.
Middletown housing in numbers
| Census measure (ACS 2024 5-year) | Middletown CDP |
|---|---|
| Population | 1,572 |
| Median value of owner-occupied homes | $403,900 (margin of error ±$156,584) |
| Persons per household | 3.1 |
| Housing units | 617 |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 2024 5-year estimates, as presented by Census Reporter. The Census QuickFacts page did not load when we checked.
Middletown’s Census area covers only the town itself, so the sample is small and the margins of error are wide: the home-value estimate could be off by more than $150,000, and no median household income was published. For context, QuickFacts puts the Lake County median owner-occupied value at $324,300 for 2020–2024. Treat these as rough guides, and ask an agent for recent sales of similar homes nearby.
The town, Hidden Valley Lake and the Langtry/Guenoc Valley
Middletown has no city government; Lake County handles zoning and permits. The County’s Middletown Area Plan, adopted August 17, 2010, covers Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake, Anderson Springs and the Langtry/Guenoc Valley. It supports mixed-use buildings with homes above shops downtown and design guidelines for new commercial buildings. Outside the town center, many parcels rely on private wells and septic systems.
For more on the area, see our Middletown real estate guide and our Hidden Valley Lake agents guide.
Costs and rules specific to a Middletown purchase
- Transfer tax. Middletown is unincorporated, and the Lake County Assessor-Recorder fee schedule lists the documentary transfer tax at $1.10 per $1,000: about $444 on a $403,900 sale. See our California transfer tax guide.
- Wells and septic. For rural parcels, order well-yield and water-quality tests and a septic inspection, and ask for any County permits on the system.
- Short-term rentals. The County announced in July 2026 a committee to help draft short-term rental rules for the unincorporated area, so treat vacation-rental income as subject to new rules.
- Fire hazard and insurance. Look up the address on the State Fire Marshal’s Fire Hazard Severity Zone maps, read the natural hazard disclosure report, and get an insurance quote before you remove contingencies.
- Creeks. The County’s Waterway combining district bars development within 30 feet of perennial streams and 20 feet of intermittent streams unless an exception is granted, which can limit where you build on a creekside lot.
Middletown agents with verified licenses
Matthew Martinez, Diamond Real Estate Group (publisher of this guide)
Matthew Martinez is the Founder, CEO and Managing Broker of Diamond Real Estate Group. He is based in Sonoma County; contact him to discuss a purchase or sale in Middletown. Contact Matthew · Broker #01869679 · Diamond Group Estates Inc DBA Diamond Real Estate Group, DRE #02163490
| Agent | Brokerage | License | Areas named on profile |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth Cox | RE/MAX Gold, Lakeport | Salesperson #02144709 | Middletown, Lakeport |
| Racine Eich (licensed as Lara Racine Eich) | RE/MAX Gold, Lakeport | Salesperson #02083933 | Middletown, Calistoga, Lakeport, Clearlake Oaks, Kelseyville |
| Jen Mullin (licensed as Jennifer Mullin) | RE/MAX Gold, Lakeport | Salesperson #01299223 | Middletown, Cobb, Clearlake, Hidden Valley, Lakeport |
| Kimberly Rupp | Navigate RE Co. | Salesperson #01480439 | Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake, Cobb, Lower Lake, Clearlake, Kelseyville, Lakeport |
| Faylen Silva | RE/MAX Gold, Lakeport | Salesperson #01772839 | Middletown, Hidden Valley, Cobb, Kelseyville, Lake County |
| Cynthia Smith (licensed as Cynthia Clemencia Smith) | RE/MAX Gold, Lakeport | Salesperson #01341797 | Middletown, Lower Lake, Cobb, Hidden Valley, Calistoga |
| Diane Sutton | Navigate RE Co. | Salesperson #01313634 | Middletown, Hidden Valley Lake, Cobb, Lower Lake, Clearlake, Kelseyville, Lakeport |
| Jennifer Wall (licensed as Jennifer Aileen Wall) | RE/MAX Gold, Middletown | Salesperson #02037114 | Middletown, Cobb, Hidden Valley, Kelseyville, Lower Lake |
| Shannon Williams | RE/MAX Gold, Middletown | Salesperson #01705168 | Middletown, Cobb, Lower Lake, Hidden Valley, Lake County |
On the DRE record, RE/MAX Gold agents are licensed under Norcal Gold Inc. RE/MAX Gold’s Middletown office is at 21162 Calistoga Road. Kimberly Rupp’s and Diane Sutton’s profiles are on nexthome.com; their licensing brokerage, Navigate RE Co., is taken from the DRE record. We found CENTURY 21 Epic agents at the nearby Hidden Valley Lake office, but their profiles did not name Middletown, so they appear in our Hidden Valley Lake guide instead.
How to vet a Middletown agent
- Ask whether they work in town, in Hidden Valley Lake or on acreage. Each sells differently.
- For rural land, ask about wells, septic and road access. Get the well and septic reports before you remove contingencies.
- Get an insurance quote first. Ask which carriers are writing policies near the address.
- Ask for comparable sales, not Census figures. Middletown’s Census estimates have wide margins of error.
- Check creek setbacks on any lot you plan to build on.
- Check the license yourself. Confirm a "Licensed" status with a current broker on the DRE lookup.
Middletown questions we hear
Is there a city transfer tax in Middletown?
No. Middletown is unincorporated, so the Lake County rate of $1.10 per $1,000 applies.
Who approves building permits in Middletown?
Lake County, under its zoning ordinance and the Middletown Area Plan.
How far is Middletown from Napa Valley?
Highway 29 runs south from Middletown over Mount St. Helena to Calistoga. Several agents in the table also name Calistoga on their profiles; see our Napa County agents guide.
Can I use a Middletown home as a vacation rental?
The County is drafting short-term rental rules for the unincorporated area, so check current County requirements before counting on rental income.
Sources & notes
- California DRE public license lookup (individual records linked in the table)
- Census Reporter, Middletown CDP profile (ACS 2024 5-year)
- U.S. Census QuickFacts, Lake County
- Lake County Assessor-Recorder, Schedule of Fees
- Middletown Area Plan (adopted Aug. 17, 2010)
- Lake County Zoning Ordinance, Article 37 Waterway combining district
- Lake County news: short-term rental ordinance committee (July 6, 2026)
- CAL FIRE Office of the State Fire Marshal, Fire Hazard Severity Zones
- RE/MAX agents in Middletown; agent profiles linked in the table
- License records checked October 2026 on the California DRE public lookup. Last reviewed October 2026 by Matthew Martinez.
Related: Middletown real estate guide · Middletown home valuation · Lake County agents guide · 20 tips for choosing a real estate agent
License-status update: the linked California DRE public records were checked November 2, 2026 and showed "Licensed." Public profile research retains the dates stated above. Names on DRE records may differ from public profile names; verify status and brokerage before selecting an agent.
