Mortgage rates, Massachusetts prices, and Southern New Hampshire sales activity all moved in slightly different directions in June and July 2026. Here is what the data actually shows for homeowners, buyers, and sellers across North Shore MA, Southern NH, and Middlesex County MA.

Mortgage rates. The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 6.66% as of July 30, 2026, up slightly from 6.58% the week before, but down from 6.72% a year earlier, according to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey. The 15-year fixed averaged 6.04%, up from 5.96% the prior week. Rates have stayed in a relatively narrow band through the summer, with forecasters generally expecting only modest movement over the next six to twelve months.

Massachusetts single-family market. Statewide, the median single-family sale price was $715,000 in June 2026, down from $725,000 a year earlier, according to the Massachusetts Association of Realtors. Condo prices moved the opposite direction, rising to $590,000 from $580,000. New listings for single-family homes rose 10.7% year over year, and closed sales rose 7%, from 4,459 to 4,773. More inventory paired with a modest price pullback marks a real shift after several years of tight supply.

Southern New Hampshire (Rockingham County). In Rockingham County, which covers Portsmouth, Exeter, Bedford, and the Seacoast communities, the single-family median sale price held essentially flat at $710,000 in June 2026 compared to a year earlier, according to New Hampshire Realtors. Closed sales rose 10% year over year, and pending sales jumped 24.9%. Days on market increased to 20, up from 16 a year earlier, and months supply of inventory sits at roughly 2.5, still a seller-favorable environment but with more breathing room than in recent years.

Statewide New Hampshire context. Across all of New Hampshire, single-family closed sales rose 12.3% year over year in June, with the statewide median sale price up 1.1% to $575,000. Inventory of single-family homes for sale rose 10.7% year over year to 2,745 active listings, and new listings rose 10.9%. Days on market across the state increased 15.8% to 22 days.

Taken together, the data points to a market that is loosening slightly on the inventory side without giving up much ground on price, particularly in the more in-demand Seacoast and Boston-commute corridors.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are mortgage rates expected to drop significantly this year? Most forecasters expect only modest movement, with 30-year rates potentially easing toward the high-5% to low-6% range by late 2026 if inflation continues to cooperate, though this is not guaranteed.

Is Massachusetts a buyer’s market now? Not fully. Prices eased slightly and inventory grew, giving buyers more options and negotiating room than in the past two years, but demand remains strong enough that well-priced, move-in-ready homes near transit and the coast are still competitive.

Why did Rockingham County pending sales jump so much in June? A combination of eased rate pressure, more new listings, and sustained demand from Boston-area buyers and remote workers relocating to the Seacoast drove a sharp increase in pending sales, even as the median price stayed flat.

How does Southern NH compare to the rest of the state? Rockingham County remains the most expensive and most competitive part of New Hampshire, with a median price roughly 24% above the statewide figure of $575,000.

What does “months supply of inventory” actually mean? It estimates how long the current inventory would last at the recent pace of sales. Rockingham County’s figure of roughly 2.5 months indicates a market that still favors sellers, though less tightly than in prior years.

Should I wait for prices to drop further before buying? That depends on individual circumstances, but the data does not currently show a broad price decline, only a modest easing in Massachusetts alongside flat pricing in Southern NH. Waiting on the assumption of a larger drop is a judgment call, not something the current data supports on its own.

These figures shift month to month, and county-level and even neighborhood-level conditions can diverge meaningfully from the broader averages shown here.