Published November 1, 2026 in Market Update

South End is moving slower, even with deals still getting done

By Lisa Corrigan

Real estate, South End

The big number right now: median days on market in the South End hit 39 days for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is 12 days longer than the same stretch a year ago, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. And Redfin put the weekly average mortgage rate at 7.32% for the four weeks ending October 25, 2026. Those two things together mean buyers are moving more carefully. For sellers, that makes your first price and first impression count more than ever.

Here is the honest picture: the market slowed, but it did not stop. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 97 homes sold in the South End in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 3.2% from a year before. Pending sales came in at 72, also up 4.3% year over year. Deals are getting done.

Prices held up, but the bidding-war days have cooled

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median sale price in the South End at $1,110,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 6% from the same period in 2025. So prices moved in the right direction. But the way homes sold shifted. The average sale-to-list ratio came in at 97.8%, down 0.9 points from a year ago. And only 10.3% of homes sold above list price, down 7.8 points year over year. That is a real change.

The speed stat tells the same story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that only 19.4% of South End homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, for the three months ending August 31, 2026. A year earlier that share was 12.5 points higher. Not every home is flying off the shelf. The ones priced right still move. The ones that are not are sitting.

More homes to choose from, fewer new ones coming on

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 112 homes for sale in the South End during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 15.5% from a year ago. More inventory gives buyers options and a little more leverage. At the same time, new listings dipped 2% year over year, to 97. So the supply that built up is mostly homes that have been sitting, not a flood of fresh listings.

What the national picture adds

The South End's 6% price gain looks strong next to the national trend. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose just 2.4% from August 2025 to August 2026. Month over month, they were up 0.3%, seasonally adjusted. The South End outpaced that. Still, with Redfin reporting a weekly average mortgage rate of 7.32% for the four weeks ending October 25, 2026, affordability is a real headwind for buyers everywhere, including here.

One more thing: the whole ZIP code tells one story, but your block can tell a different one. A condo on a quieter street moves differently than a townhouse near a main corridor. These numbers are the starting point, not the whole answer.