Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Bidding wars cooled in South End, but deals are still getting done

By Liza Elmstrom

Real estate, South End

Nationally, CNBC reported that pending home sales were down 8.5% year over year in September, citing Zillow. South End is moving differently. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 72 pending sales in ZIP 02118 for the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 4.3% from the same period a year ago. Deals are getting done. They just look a little different now.

That median sale price is up 6% from the same three months in 2025, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. U.S. house prices rose just 2.6% over the same stretch, per the Federal Housing Finance Agency. South End is outpacing the national number by a wide margin.

The bidding war era has cooled

This is the honest part. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that only 10.3% of homes in 02118 sold above list price in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 7.8 points from a year ago. And only 19.4% went under contract within two weeks of listing, down 12.5 points year over year. Sellers are still moving homes. But the frenzy is not what it was.

Homes are sitting about 12 days longer than they did a year ago. That gives buyers more time to think and more room to negotiate. If you are a seller, that means pricing clean from day one matters more than it did in 2025.

More homes to choose from

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 112 homes for sale in 02118 during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 15.5% from a year ago. Months of supply came in at 3.5, up 0.3 months year over year. Still a seller's market by most definitions, but the gap is narrowing.

Rates are not helping buyers

CNBC reported the average contract rate on a 30-year fixed mortgage hit 7.50% in October 2026. Fannie Mae, also per CNBC, is forecasting 7.4% for the fourth quarter of 2026 and 7.5% through 2027. That is a real headwind for buyers. It also explains why homes are taking longer and fewer are flying over asking.

The sale-to-list ratio in South End came in at 97.8% for the three months ending August 31, 2026, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Down 0.9 points from a year ago, but still close to full price. Sellers who price right are getting close to what they ask.

One more thing: these are ZIP code numbers. One block, one building or one price range can read very differently from the whole 02118 picture. Your street matters.