Published November 3, 2026 in Market Update

Sales rose across the Primary market even with mortgage rates above 7%

By Jodi Bakst

Real estate, Primary market

Here is the one fact that changes your thinking: rates crossed 7% again, and people still bought homes. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,671 homes sold across the Primary market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 8.2% from the same months of 2025. Demand did not stop when rates rose.

Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.24% on October 29, 2026. That is the backdrop for every number below. Rates above 7% slow some buyers. They did not stop this market.

The whole market in four numbers

Pending sales rose too. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 1,583 pending sales, up 8.1% from a year before. That tells you buyers are still writing offers, not just browsing.

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home inventory across the country rose to 1.60 million homes in September 2026. Realtor.com reported active inventory nationally was up 8.0% year over year as of October 29, 2026. More supply nationally did not slow this market.

How each ZIP code looked

Not every ZIP moved the same way. Some saw strong gains in sales. A few saw prices dip a little. Here is the picture ZIP by ZIP.

Where sales grew the most

ZIP 27519 in Cary led the market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 278 homes sold there, up 25.2% from a year before. Months of supply fell to 1.9 months, the tightest in the market. ZIP 27511 in Cary was close behind, up 23.6%, with a median of just 19 days on market.

Hillsborough's 27278 posted the biggest price gain. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price at $537,500, up 11.5% from a year before. Sales there rose 20.6%. Pending sales jumped 32.6%. That is a ZIP worth watching.

A few ZIPs moved the other way

Not every ZIP shared the gains. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed Morrisville's 27560 with 76 homes sold, down 33.9% from a year before. Months of supply rose 1.8 months to 4 months. Homes that went under contract within two weeks fell 14.9 points to 13.9%. That is a real shift in pace.

Mebane's 27302 saw 159 homes sold, down 10.7%. The median sale price dipped 1.6% to $373,490. Days on market rose 1 day to 45 days. Small moves, but worth knowing if you own there.

Carrboro's 27510 saw its median sale price fall 23.3% to $441,000. That is a big number. It likely reflects a change in the mix of homes that sold, not a collapse in value. Still, it is worth a closer look if you own in 27510.

How fast homes are moving

Realtor.com reported the national median days on market at 64 days for the week ending October 24, 2026. Every ZIP in this market beat that number. The slowest here, Pittsboro at 53 days, still moved faster than the U.S. middle.

Quick-contract rates: who went under contract fast

The share of homes going under contract within two weeks tells you how much competition a buyer faces. Here is how each ZIP stacked up.

ZIP 27511 in Cary had 52.4% of homes go under contract within two weeks. That is up 12.4 points from a year before. ZIP 27513 in Cary was close at 49.3%, up 16.5 points. Those are real jumps in buyer urgency.

What sellers got versus what they asked

Every ZIP came in at 98% or better. Carrboro's 27510 led at 99.7%. Sellers are not giving much away, even with rates above 7%.

Months of supply: how much breathing room buyers have

No ZIP in this market reached six months of supply. The Cary ZIPs sit well below that line. Buyers have more choices than a year ago in some areas, but supply is not loose by any measure.

One street can read very differently from the whole ZIP code. The numbers above are a starting point, not the final word on your home.