Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Primary market homes are taking longer to sell

By Annie O

Real estate, Primary market

Homes in Primary market are taking longer to sell. That means pricing and prep matter more than they did a year ago. The numbers below are from the three months ending August 31, 2026.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted a median of 61 days on market in ZIP 34638 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is 16 days longer than the same period a year ago. Nationally, Redfin reported a median of 49 days for the four weeks ending October 11. Primary market is running slower than the country as a whole.

What is driving the slower pace

Rates are part of the story. Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is near a three-year high, according to Redfin. Freddie Mac also put the 15-year fixed rate at 6.71% on that same date. Higher rates make monthly payments heavier for buyers.

Redfin reported that the typical homebuyer's monthly payment hit $2,777, the highest level on record except for the previous week. That kind of cost slows decisions. Buyers take more time. Homes sit longer.

Redfin reported that sellers outnumbered buyers by 62.6% in the U.S. housing market in September 2026. More sellers competing for fewer buyers means homes wait longer for offers.

What the local numbers show

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 311 homes sold in ZIP 34638, down 17.7% from a year ago. The median sale price was $409,190, down 3.3%. Prices dipped a little, but homes are still closing near list. The sale-to-list ratio held at 98.6%.

Not every home sold slowly. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 23.2% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That share is actually up 5 points from a year ago. Price it right and prepare it well, and a faster sale is still possible.

Only 5.5% of homes sold above list price, down 5.6 points from a year ago. Bidding wars are rare right now. Buyers have more room to compare homes and think before making an offer.

The wider picture

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales across the U.S. reached 3.99 million units in September 2026. Inventory rose to 1.60 million homes nationally that same month. Prices were still up 1.3% year over year, per the National Association of Realtors. Realtor.com reported that for-sale listings were growing nearly 7% year over year for the week ending October 10, 2026. More supply and slower sales go hand in hand.

One street can read very differently from the whole ZIP code. A block with newer builds, or one closer to a busy road, can move faster or slower than these averages. If you want to know what the numbers look like for your specific address, send me a note.