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My goal is to make sure you never have to guess about what’s happening in our market. Q3 2026 brought a real shift, and whether you’re buying, selling, or simply keeping an eye on your home’s value, here are the highlights you should know.
Nationally, the market cooled a bit:
- Mortgage rates climbed past 7% for the first time in a while, rising from 6.43% in early July to 7.03% by late September.
- Buyers have more to choose from. Active listings hit 1.16 million in September, the closest we’ve been to pre-pandemic levels since the recovery began.
- One in five listings had a price cut in September, the highest share this year.
Locally, it’s a different story in each county:
- Prices peaked this summer and eased in September across Orange, Rockland, Sussex, and Passaic.
- In Orange County, homes sold just below asking for the first time this quarter and took about seven weeks to sell.
- Just across the line in Passaic, buyers were still paying over 103% of asking, every single month.
So what does that mean for you? Buyers have more room to negotiate than they did this spring, but well-priced homes are still selling at or near asking. The right move depends on your county, your price point, and your plans.
I’ve put together a full Q3 Housing Market Update with month-by-month numbers for all four counties, New York and New Jersey trends, and what the major forecasters expect through 2027.
👉 Click here to Download the full Q3 2026 Market Update!
And if you’d like to talk through what the data means for your home or your next move, I’m always happy to sit down over coffee.
Warmly,
Susan Lynch
Trusted Real Estate Advisor
Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Green Team
