Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

Sales rose in one part of Jefferson Co Buy Box even as prices eased

By Thomas Earnest

Real estate, Jefferson Co Buy Box

The one fact that changes what you should do: more homes are selling, but buyers are winning on price. That means your list price has to be honest from day one.

Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings nationwide had price cuts in September 2026. That is the highest share since October 2022. Here in Jefferson Co Buy Box, the same pressure showed up in the numbers.

ZIP 98368: More sales, lower prices

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 77 homes sold in ZIP 98368 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 28.3% from the same months of 2025. Demand is still there.

But the median sale price in ZIP 98368 was $570,000, down 20.9% from a year before, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. More buyers showed up and still paid less. That is the buyers pushing harder on price.

Homes in ZIP 98368 sat on the market a median of 26 days, which is 16 days longer than the same period last year, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Not every home sold fast. But nearly 4 in 10 went under contract within two weeks of listing.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the average sale price at 98.4% of list price in ZIP 98368. That is down 1.1 points from a year before. Sellers are getting close to their ask, but not all of it.

Only 15.6% of homes in ZIP 98368 sold above list price, down 6.1 points from 2025, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Bidding wars are less common now. That gives buyers more room to compare and negotiate.

Pending sales point to continued activity

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 93 pending sales in ZIP 98368 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 25.7% from the same period of 2025. Contracts are still being signed.

New listings in ZIP 98368 rose 6.3% to 102, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. More homes came to market. Buyers had more to choose from, which helps explain the price dip.

How the other ZIP codes compared

ZIP 98365 told a different story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 43 homes sold there, up 26.5%. But the median sale price held much steadier, down just 0.9% to $654,500. Homes took a median of 64 days to sell, which is 45 days longer than a year before.

ZIP 98339 was the quickest market in the group. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median days on market at just 8 days. The average sale price hit 100.2% of list price there. Eight homes sold.

ZIP 98358 had the highest median sale price the Real Estate Data Aggregator recorded: $852,250. Eight homes sold there in the period.

ZIP 98376 had the lowest median sale price at $480,000, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. No homes sold above list price there. The average sale price came in at 96.4% of list.

The wider picture: rates climbed higher

CNBC reported that the average contract interest rate for 30-year fixed-rate mortgages with conforming loan balances rose to 7.49% in the week ending October 7, 2026. That is a real headwind for buyers.

CNBC also reported that mortgage purchase applications were 15% lower than the same week one year ago. Fewer people are applying. That is part of why sellers need to price carefully.

Realtor.com noted that mortgage rates topped 7% in September 2026, the first time since January 2025. Higher rates reduce what buyers can spend, and that shows up in sale prices.

Jefferson Co Buy Box as a whole

Across all seven ZIP codes together, the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 153 homes sold, 185 homes for sale, 192 new listings and 176 pending sales in the three months ending August 31, 2026.