Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

More homes are on the market, but buyers are still showing up

By Josh Burnett

Real estate, Primary market

Here is the one thing that shifts the math for every seller right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 4,437 homes for sale across this market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 7.1% from the same months of 2025. More competition is sitting on the shelf. Price and condition matter more than they did a year ago.

Buyers are still showing up. Sales rose 1.2% year over year, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. The National Association of Realtors reported existing-home sales up 1.6% year-to-date through the first eight months of 2026. So demand has not walked out. It has just gotten more selective.

Think of it like a thermostat. When inventory was tight, the heat stayed on and sellers set the temperature. Now the dial has moved. Buyers have more rooms to walk through before they decide. That does not mean sellers lose. It means the homes that are priced right and show well still sell. The ones that are not, sit.

Rates are adding weight to every decision

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. The 15-year averaged 6.73% the same week. CNBC reported rates hit their highest level in three years that week, above 7.5%. That is real money on a monthly payment. It is the kind of number that makes a buyer slow down and compare every home on the shelf.

The National Association of Realtors put the national supply at 4.9 months, the highest level in over ten years. This market, at 4,437 homes for sale, is running its own version of that same story.

Every ZIP code is telling a different story

The market-wide numbers are real, but they are an average of twenty different zip codes moving at different speeds. Some are still tight. Some have softened. Look at the range below.

28104 sits at 2.4 months of supply, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is still tight. The median sale price there held at $685,000, up 0.7% from a year ago. Nearly 4 in 10 homes went under contract within two weeks. 28202, at the other end, carries 9.5 months of supply. Homes there sat a median 127 days, which is 67 days longer than the same period a year ago. Same market, very different rooms.

Where buyers are moving fastest

28209 led the market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 46.3% of homes there going under contract within two weeks. The median sale price was $850,000, up 2.5% year over year. Sellers there got 99.8% of their list price on average, up 1.1 points from a year ago. That is a different conversation than the market average.

Prices: mostly steady, a few exceptions

Most ZIP codes held price within a few percent either way. 28211 was the standout on the upside. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put its median sale price at $950,000, up 21.8% from a year ago. 28227 was up 13.4% to $465,000. On the other side, 28202 dropped 27.8% to a median of $344,250. That is a big number, but 28202 also had only 44 homes sold and 9.5 months of supply. Small counts can move a median fast.

What this means if you are selling

More homes for sale means your home is being compared to more options. That is not a crisis. It is just the new condition. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows homes across this market still selling at 97% to 99% of list price in most ZIP codes. Buyers are not walking away. They are just taking longer to choose.

Realtor.com reported active listings nationally up 6.7% from a year ago as of October 8, 2026. That lines up with what the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows here. More supply, but not a flood. The homes that are priced to match what buyers see when they compare will still move.

What this means if you are buying

More inventory is real. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 4,437 homes for sale here, up 7.1%. That means more to look at before you decide. The trade-off is that rates are high. Freddie Mac's 7.40% average on a 30-year loan is a number that makes every monthly payment larger than it was two years ago. That tension is the market right now.

In the tighter ZIP codes, like 28104 and 28209, waiting for a better deal may mean watching the same home sell to someone else. In the softer ones, like 28208 or 29720, you have more room to compare and negotiate.

One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it. A cul-de-sac in 28277 and a townhome row in 28226 are both in the same broad market, but they are not the same market. If you want to know what the numbers look like on your specific block, send me your address and I will pull it.