Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

Inventory rose in the Primary market, but contracts slowed

Here is the one thing that changes what you should do right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 111 homes for sale across the Primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 29.1% from a year before. More choice for buyers. More competition for sellers.

At the same time, pending sales fell. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 124 pending sales, down 14.5% from a year ago. More homes, fewer buyers moving forward. That gap is the story.

Nationally, the National Association of Realtors put supply at 4.9 months. That is the highest level in over ten years. The Primary market is still far tighter than that. But the direction here is the same: more supply, slower demand.

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. That is a real cost. It slows some buyers down. It does not stop the market, but it changes the math for a lot of households.

What this means if you are a buyer

You have more homes to look at than buyers did a year ago. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows inventory up 29.1% across the four ZIP codes. That is a real shift. You are not choosing from an empty shelf.

Speed still matters in some spots. In 02460, the Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 65.2% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. In 02461, that share was 47.6%. Well-priced homes still move fast.

What this means if you are a seller

Pending sales are down. That means fewer buyers are signing contracts right now. You are not selling into the same crowd as last year. Pricing and timing carry more weight today.

The good news: homes that sold did sell well. In 02460, the Real Estate Data Aggregator found the average sale price was 102.2% of list. In 02461, it was 102.5%. Priced right, homes are still getting above asking.

How each ZIP code read, three months ending August 31, 2026

02459 had the highest median sale price. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put it at $2,020,000, up 2.3% from a year ago. Homes for sale there rose 73.1%, the biggest inventory jump of any ZIP code here.

02461 had the sharpest drop in pending sales, down 36.4% from a year ago per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Homes sold there were actually up 41.7%. That tells two different stories at once. More closed last quarter, but fewer are in the pipeline now.

02458 took the longest to sell. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found a median of 34 days on market, 11 days longer than a year ago. That is the one ZIP where sellers should expect a longer road.

02460 moved fastest. A median of 15 days on market, 8 days shorter than a year ago. And 57.6% of homes sold above list price, up 27.9 points from a year ago.

The rate picture

Freddie Mac reported a 30-year fixed rate of 7.40% and a 15-year fixed rate of 6.73%, both as of October 8, 2026. Those are real numbers that affect what a buyer can afford each month.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 0.3% from the previous month in July, seasonally adjusted. Prices are still moving up nationally, just slowly.

One more thing: the numbers above cover whole ZIP codes. One street can read very differently from the ZIP it sits in. If your home is in 02458 but closer to the 02460 line, the 34-day median may not be your number at all.