Published November 1, 2026 in Market Update

Lower Cape inventory is down, even with more new listings

By Liza Elmstrom

Real estate, Lower Cape

Here is the number that matters most right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 88 homes for sale across the Lower Cape in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 22.8% from the same stretch last year. So even though 103 new listings came to market, supply is still tighter than it was a year ago.

Those new listings are not piling up. They are selling. CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.37% as of October 28, 2026. That is not cheap. But buyers on the Lower Cape are still moving. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 79 homes sold across the three towns, up 11.3% from a year ago.

New listings are up 14.4%, but total inventory is still falling. That tells you one thing: homes are being absorbed almost as fast as they arrive. For owners, new competition is real but not building up. For buyers, fresh options are showing up, just not sitting around.

Orleans (02653): faster sales, prices dipped a little

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 30 homes sold in Orleans in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 7.1% from a year ago. The median sale price came in at $876,250, down 2.6% year over year. Prices eased a bit, and buyers responded. Homes sat on the market a median of just 25 days, which is 27 days shorter than the same period last year.

Nearly 37% of Orleans homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 27.1 points from a year ago, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a big jump. Well-priced homes are not waiting long. New listings in Orleans hit 46, up 39.4%, yet only 38 homes remained for sale, down 29.6%. Supply is actually tighter here than the broader Lower Cape average.

Chatham (02633): steady supply, quick sales

Chatham saw 37 homes sold in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 12.1%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. The median sale price was $1,250,000, down 4.5% from a year ago. Like Orleans, prices dipped a little and sales picked up. Homes sold in a median of 20 days, 9 days faster than last year.

Nearly 44% of Chatham homes went under contract within two weeks, up 4.9 points year over year, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. New listings held flat year over year at 49. Homes for sale dropped 14.9% to 40. Months of supply fell to 3.3, down 1.1 months from a year ago.

North Chatham (02650): fewest homes, highest prices

North Chatham is the smallest slice of the Lower Cape. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted just 12 homes sold there in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 20% from a year ago. The median sale price was $2,375,000, up 13.1%. Only 10 homes were for sale, down 23.1%. Supply here is very thin.

Not every sign points the same way in North Chatham. Homes took a median of 22 days to sell, which is 8 days longer than a year ago. And only 11.1% went under contract within two weeks, down 22.2 points. With so few sales, one or two slow deals can move those numbers a lot. The sale-to-list ratio was still strong at 98.9%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator.

How the three towns compare

The rate backdrop

CNBC reported the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.37% as of October 28, 2026. That is a real cost. CNBC also noted that mortgage purchase applications were 18% lower than the same week a year ago, nationally. Lower Cape buyers are still closing deals despite that, which says something about demand here.