Published October 18, 2026 in Market Update

Higher rates are not slowing every part of Mason Co Buy Box

By Thomas Earnest

Real estate, Mason Co Buy Box

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That matters. But it is not hitting every part of Mason Co Buy Box the same way. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 262 homes sold across the market in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Some ZIP codes are moving. Some are sitting. The difference comes down to supply.

The tightest spot: ZIP 98546

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted just 2 months of supply in ZIP 98546 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is the tightest reading in the market. Pending sales there rose 35.7% from the same period a year before. Demand is still showing up where inventory is thin. Sellers in 98546 still need to price right. Buyers may need to move quickly when a fit shows up.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator also showed the median sale price in 98546 at $672,500 for the period. That was down 29.9% from a year before. Prices dipped in that ZIP even as demand held up. A low supply number and a falling price can happen at the same time when the mix of homes sold shifts. Price carefully.

Rates are a real headwind nationally

Redfin reported the weekly average mortgage rate hit 7.4% on October 8, 2026, a three-year high. Redfin also reported the typical homebuyer's monthly payment reached $2,777, the highest on record except the previous week. Fannie Mae, as reported by CNBC on October 14, 2026, forecasts the 30-year fixed rate will stay at 7.4% through the fourth quarter of 2026. That is the backdrop every buyer and seller is working with.

Supply tells very different stories across the market

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted months of supply ranging from 2 months in 98546 all the way to 10 months in 98548, for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is not one market. It is several, sitting side by side.

Where sales volume held up

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 116 homes sold in ZIP 98584 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That was down just 0.9% from a year before. The median sale price there rose 6.8% to $440,000. Homes sold in 98584 averaged 99.1% of list price, up 0.7 points from a year before. That ZIP is not falling apart.

ZIP 98528 also showed strength. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 37 homes sold there, up 37% from a year before. Pending sales rose 33.3%. The median sale price slipped 1.9% to $515,000, a small dip. Sales-to-list held at 99.1%, unchanged from a year before.

Where the market is softer

ZIP 98548 tells a harder story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 10 months of supply there in the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 3.7 months from a year before. Homes sold dropped 31.8%. The share of homes that sold above list price fell 29.7 points to 6.7%. Sellers there are facing real pressure to price right.

ZIP 98524 also saw homes sold fall 41.2%. Inventory doubled, up 100%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. The sale-to-list ratio dropped 2.5 points to 97.8%. Not every home sold fast or close to asking.

National price growth has slowed too

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. That is real growth, but Redfin reported the median U.S. home-sale price rose just 0.5% year over year, the slowest growth since March. Realtor.com reported price cuts hit 20.8% of listings in September, the highest share since October 2022. The national picture is mixed, and so is Mason Co Buy Box.