Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Some parts of the market are still moving fast despite higher rates

By Deb Hayne

Real estate, Primary market

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is real money added to every monthly payment. Yet in several parts of this market, homes are still moving quickly. The three months ending August 31, 2026 tell an interesting story.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted homes going under contract within two weeks at 63% in ZIP 21158, 61.5% in ZIP 21042, and 61.3% in ZIP 21784. That is more than 6 in 10 homes, gone before the two-week mark, in each of those areas.

How fast are homes moving, by ZIP code?

ZIP 21158 leads the market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 63% of homes there went under contract within two weeks. That share is up 2.3 points from the same period in 2025.

ZIP 21042 is close behind at 61.5%, and the median sale price there rose 8% year over year to $862,000, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. More than half of homes sold above list price.

A closer look at the fastest ZIP codes

ZIP 21042 had a median of just 19 days on market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows homes there sold at 102.7% of list price on average. That means buyers were regularly going over asking.

ZIP 21784 also held steady. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 177 homes sold there, up 12.7% from a year before. Inventory fell 23.4%, which helps explain the pace.

Not every ZIP code is moving at the same speed

Some parts of the market are slower, and that is worth knowing too.

ZIP 21701 had 36.5% of homes go under contract within two weeks. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows median days on market there at 45 days. More inventory and more new listings mean buyers have more choices and less urgency.

ZIP 21133 saw its two-week contract share fall 14 points from a year ago, to 41.9%. Months of supply rose 1.1 months. Prices dipped 12.4%. That is a different conversation than ZIP 21042 or 21158.

What the national picture looks like

The National Association of Realtors reported existing-home sales nationally at 3.99 million units in September 2026, with prices up 1.3% year over year. Nationally, inventory rose to 1.60 million homes.

Nationally, sellers are outpacing buyers. Redfin reported that home sellers outnumbered buyers by 62.6% in September 2026, with an estimated 928,892 buyers, the lowest count since 2013.

Parts of this local market are behaving differently from those national trends. The Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers show that in several ZIP codes here, demand is still absorbing supply quickly.

The rate backdrop

At 7.40%, borrowing costs are real. Freddie Mac's October 15 reading matches a three-year high. Yet in ZIP codes like 21158 and 21042, buyers are still competing. Pricing and condition matter more than ever when rates are this high.

These are ZIP-code averages. Your specific street, price point and home type can look quite different from the overall number. If you want to know what the pace looks like for a home like yours, I am happy to take a closer look.