Housing Report, September 2026: National vs Essex County, MA 10/19/2026

National Housing Report September 2026 (Homes and Condos):

Sellers faced cooling demand resulting in lower median sale prices that fell -1.1% from August, to $417,500. Unit sales increased +1.5% from August but fell -2.2% from Sep 2025. List Prices (asking prices) fell -1.2% from August to $419,250, the 11th consecutive monthly drop. Active home listing inventory rose to 1,161,615 units, (the highest level since early 2020), up 0.5% from August and up +5.4% from September 2025. September Months of inventory is now 4.8 vs 4.3 months a year ago. 20.8% of all active September listings had price reductions which averaged -4.5%. Days on Market rose +1.7% to 61.

Essex County MA Housing Report September 2026

The Essex County residential market remains firmly anchored in seller-favorable territory, driven by low inventory and consistent buyer demand. Despite 30-year fixed mortgage rates averaging 7.43% as of mid-October: 

   • Inventory remains historically constrained: Months of inventory across all property categories sit between 2.3 and 2.4 months, far below the 6.0-month mark representing a balanced market.

   • Condominiums are leading price and volume growth: The condo category experienced substantial year-over-year gains in median price (+14.5% to $521,000) and sales volume (+35.8%), providing an active alternative for buyers managing elevated borrowing costs.

  • Pricing is holding steady with selective corrections: Single-family median prices remained virtually unchanged month-over-month (-0.5%) and down marginally year-over-year (-1.2%). Between 20% and 25% of active listings underwent price adjustments across all segments, indicating that while properly priced inventory moves quickly, over-aspirational initial list prices are being met with buyer resistance.

Essex County MA: Median Sold Price to Median List Price Ratio - September 2026:
Single Families Sold for 94.1%; Condos Sold for 102.2%; Multi-Families Sold for 94.5%.

Percent of Active Listings With Price Reductions - September 2026:
Single-Families 20.2%, Condos 20.6% and 2-4 Unit Multi-Families 24.5%.
Average $ Price Reductions: Single-Families -5.43%; Condos -3.76%; Multi-Families -3.09%.

Current Months of Inventory: (a balanced market has 6 months of inventory):
Single-Families 2.4 months, Condos 2.3 months, 2-4 Unit Multi-Families 2.3 months.

Bottom line: Current low inventory favors sellers who price their properties correctly.

• To view data for every Essex County town, http://www.sullivanteam.com/Properties/Reports/Public/Charts.php
  
   
• To Download the full housing report go to:  http://sullivanteam.com/pages/EssexCountyHousingReports 

Renovate or Relocate? What To Know Before You Decide To Age in Place

You've spent years making your house feel like home, celebrating milestones, making each room your own, and turning neighbors into friends. As you look ahead to the next chapter of your life, it's natural to wonder if this is still the place you want to spend it.

Whether you're leaning toward staying in your house as you get older or moving to a 55+ community, the goal is the same: a home that fits the life you want, with more time for the people and things you love. So, here's what to consider before you decide.

What It Can Take To Stay Put

Wanting to stay in a house you love and are familiar with makes sense. But most houses need at least some updates to make aging in place easier.

In fact, the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University (JCHS) finds that fewer than 4% of homes have the basics, like single-floor living, no-step entries, and wide hallways and doorways (see graph below):

That means for most homeowners, staying put means doing a remodel.

The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) reports more than half of remodelers (56%) take on this kind of work. Some of the most common projects are installing grab bars, curb-less showers (walk-in showers with no ledge to step over), and wider doorways.

Now, that’s not to say you can’t go this route. You most certainly can. But if this is how you’re leaning just know you'd be living with contractor noise and dust until the work gets done. Some people don’t want to live in a construction zone. Not to mention, having to manage the contractors and schedules, etc.

Your Equity Could Pay for Your Next Move

If that sounds like something you’d rather avoid, here’s the good news. The money for your next home may already be sitting in your current one. It's called equity, which is the difference between what your house is worth and what you still owe on it. After years of mortgage payments and rising home values, it adds up. Jess Catorc, Co-Founder of Carry, explains:

"The way home equity builds and is used changes a lot depending on your stage of life. . . . For older homeowners, decades of mortgage payments and home-value growth can turn equity into a financial cushion."

When you sell, that cushion can go toward a home that's ready for this stage of life. No demo required. You just get the keys and it’s all there, ready for you. That means less time on projects and more time for living. And one option you may consider if you’re entertaining a move is a 55+ plus community.

Why 55+ Communities Are Worth a Look 

From the homes to the shared spaces to the activity calendar, these communities are planned around this stage of life. And that means everything you need is already rolled into one place. Rocket Mortgage lists some of the biggest perks (see visual below):

Instead of spending time and money to make your house easier to live in, you'd move into a community that's designed with that in mind from the jump. That frees you up for the good stuff, like a morning walk with a neighbor, a game night down the street, or finally trying the hobby you've been putting off.

Bottom Line

Staying and moving can both be good choices. What matters most is finding the place where you'll feel comfortable and at home for years to come.

If you'd like help weighing the two, let's connect. We can look at what your house could sell for and what 55+ communities in our area have to offer, so you can decide what feels right for you.