Published October 1, 2026 in Market Update

More homes are selling even with mortgage rates above 7%

By Leatha Eaves

Real estate, Primary market

Rates are high. No question about that. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.03% as of September 24, 2026. Realtor.com called it the first reading above 7% since January 2025. That number is real, and it matters. But here is what also matters: buyers are still buying.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,616 homes sold across the Primary market in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 13.2% from the same three months in 2025. Rates above 7% did not stop that.

More buyers, more sellers, more movement

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also counted 1,772 pending sales, up 8.1%. That means the pipeline behind the closed sales is growing too. Sellers added 2,029 new listings, up 7.8%. Buyers had more to choose from, and they still moved.

"But aren't buyers just waiting for rates to drop?" Fair question. Maybe some are. But 1,616 closed sales says plenty are not waiting.

What the national picture adds

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales nationwide were up 1.6% year-to-date through the first eight months of 2026. The Federal Housing Finance Agency put U.S. house prices up 2.1% year over year between the second quarter of 2025 and the second quarter of 2026. Prices are not falling at the national level, and this market's own sales count shows the same kind of resilience.

How each ZIP code looked

Not every ZIP moved the same way. Some sold faster. Some saw prices dip a little. That is the honest picture.

Where things moved quickest

ZIP 37343 had the fastest median pace. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put median days on market there at 27 days, 19 days shorter than the same period in 2025. Nearly 35% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is the highest two-week rate of any ZIP in this market.

ZIP 37416 and ZIP 30736 also moved quickly, at 39 and 41 days respectively. ZIP 37421 came in at 42 days, 18 days shorter than a year before.

Where prices dipped and where they held

Prices slipped in several ZIPs. That is worth saying plainly. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median in ZIP 37363 fell 12% year over year, to $425,000. ZIP 37416 dropped 8.7%, to $315,000. ZIP 37312 fell 3.7%, to $338,500.

Other ZIPs moved the other way. ZIP 37341 was up 6.6%, to $362,500. ZIP 37323 rose 6.5%, to $330,000. ZIP 37311 gained 4.3%, to $289,000. ZIP 30736 held flat at $340,000.

Price moves and sales volume are telling two different stories in some ZIPs. More homes sold in ZIP 37363, up 17.8%, even as the median price fell 12%. More supply, more choice, and buyers adjusted what they paid.

One ZIP that moved in a different direction

ZIP 37312 is worth a closer look. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 227 homes sold there, up 22%. But median days on market rose 15 days longer than a year before, to 64 days. The average sale-to-list ratio fell 2.5 points, to 96%. Homes sold above list dropped 6.6 points, to 7.9%. More homes sold, but buyers had more leverage than before.

ZIP 37311 also took longer. Days on market rose 8 days to 57. Pending sales fell 12.9%. That ZIP moved at its own pace.

What the rate means for you

"I thought nobody was buying with rates this high." Fair. That was a reasonable worry a year ago. Wrong! The numbers say otherwise.

Freddie Mac put the 15-year fixed rate at 6.42% as of September 24, 2026. That is an option for some buyers. The National Association of Realtors put months of supply nationally at 4.9 months, the highest in over ten years. Locally, the Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 2,065 homes for sale in this market, up 21.2%. Buyers have more to choose from. Sellers have more competition.

That is not a reason to panic. It is a reason to price carefully and know your ZIP.