Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Mid Cape still has more buyers than sellers

By Liza Elmstrom

Real estate, Mid Cape

Nationally, Realtor.com reported active listings topped 1.16 million homes in September 2026. That sounds like relief for buyers. But Mid Cape is reading a different story.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 411 pending sales and only 290 homes for sale across Mid Cape in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Local demand is still absorbing supply fast, even as more homes sit unsold elsewhere in the country.

Prices: mostly up, with a few dips

Most ZIP codes saw prices rise. A few dipped. Here is where each one landed.

The biggest price gain: ZIP 02671 (West Harwich), up 25.1% year over year per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. The biggest dip: ZIP 02646 (Harwich Port), down 47.1%. That kind of swing in a small ZIP often reflects what mix of homes happened to sell, not a trend.

How fast are homes moving?

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows most Mid Cape ZIPs are selling in under four weeks. ZIP 02673 (West Yarmouth) was the quickest at 22 days. ZIP 02671 (West Harwich) took the longest at 34 days.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That is slowing buyers in many markets. Here, days on market fell in most Mid Cape ZIPs compared with a year ago.

Nearly half of homes go under contract within two weeks

The Real Estate Data Aggregator tracked how quickly buyers committed. In ZIP 02673 (West Yarmouth), 57.5% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is the highest share in Mid Cape.

Are sellers getting their price?

Yes, mostly. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows sale-to-list ratios running between 97.4% and 100.4% across Mid Cape. ZIP 02631 (Brewster) hit exactly 100%, and ZIP 02671 (West Harwich) came in at 100.4%. Sellers are not giving much away.

The national picture vs. here

Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. The Federal Housing Finance Agency put U.S. home price growth at 2.6% year over year through July 2026. Mid Cape prices in most ZIPs grew faster than that.

CNBC reported that Fannie Mae forecasts the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.4% for the fourth quarter of 2026 and 7.5% through 2027. Higher rates tend to cool buyer demand. So far, Mid Cape supply is still thin enough that demand is holding.

Supply is tight, but not the same everywhere

Months of supply tells you how long current inventory would last at the current sales pace. Under three months generally favors sellers. Most Mid Cape ZIPs are well under that.

ZIP 02671 (West Harwich) stands out at 4.2 months, the only ZIP approaching a balanced market. Every other ZIP is running under three months.

One street can read very differently from the whole ZIP code. If your home is in Mid Cape, the numbers above are a starting point, not the whole answer.