Published October 20, 2026 in Market Update

Pending sales are edging past new listings in the North Country

By Penny Daniels

Real estate, Primary market

Here is the one thing worth knowing right now. Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is a real headwind for buyers. And yet, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 234 pending sales across this market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. New listings in that same period came in at 229. More homes went under contract than came onto the market. Buyers are still showing up.

That gap is small, only 5 homes. But it tells you something real. Demand has not dried up, even with rates where they are. For a homeowner thinking about selling, that means there are buyers out there. For a buyer, it means the homes that are priced well are not sitting long.

Where buyers are moving fastest

Not every town in the North Country reads the same way. The Real Estate Data Aggregator breaks this down by ZIP code, and the differences are real.

Moriah stood out. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 7 pending sales there against just 3 homes for sale in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Nearly 43% of homes that sold went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is a tight market.

Plattsburgh told a similar story at a much bigger scale. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 112 pending sales in ZIP 12901 in that same period, up 49.3% from the same months in 2025. The median sale price there was $267,000, up 6.8% from a year before. Note that ZIP 12901 covers both the City of Plattsburgh and parts of the Town of Plattsburgh. Taxes, utilities and school districts differ between the two, so always confirm which side of the line a home sits on.

Homes in Plattsburgh are taking a bit longer to sell than they did a year ago, 30 days at the median versus 9 days a year before. That is worth knowing if you are pricing a home. But supply is still lean at 2.5 months, and pending sales are climbing. The market is slower than it was, but it is not stalled.

Morrisonville is moving

Morrisonville was one of the stronger stories in the data. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 18 pending sales in ZIP 12962 in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 20% from the same period in 2025. The median sale price was $347,500, up 53.8% from a year before. That is a big jump. It reflects a shift in what sold, not necessarily that every home gained that much in value. Still, the direction is clear.

A look across the market

Some areas have more supply and more patience required. Westport, in Essex County, had 10.7 months of supply in the three months ending August 31, 2026, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Lewis came in at 15.3 months. In those towns, buyers have more choices and more room to negotiate. Sellers need to price carefully.

Keeseville is worth a separate note. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 18 pending sales there in the three months ending August 31, 2026, and the median sale price was $225,000, down 11.6% from a year before. Homes did sell faster though, 14 days shorter at the median. Keeseville straddles the county line at the river. Clinton County is north of the river, Essex County is south. Taxes and services differ. Always confirm which side a property sits on before drawing conclusions.

What the national picture adds

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales nationally reached 3.99 million units in September 2026. That is a real number, but this market moves on its own. The North Country is not the national average.

What does matter here is the rate. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026. That is the same level Redfin described as a 3-year high as of October 8, 2026. Monthly payments are high. Buyers know it. And yet, pending sales in this market still outpaced new listings. That says something about local demand.

One more thing. These numbers cover whole ZIP codes. One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it. If you want to know what is actually happening near your home, I am happy to take a closer look.