Published November 1, 2026 in Market Update

More Salem homes hit the market, but buyers are still moving

By Cynthia Nina-Soto | Nina-Soto Realty

Real estate, Salem (SF)

These numbers cover the three months ending August 31, 2026. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 105 homes for sale in Salem's 01970 ZIP code during that period. That is up 36.4% from the same months a year before. More homes to look at is real. But buyers are still moving, and sellers still need to price carefully.

More inventory does not mean a slow market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows 47.9% of Salem homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is nearly 1 in 2 homes. It is down 16 points from a year ago, so the pace has cooled some. But buyers who find the right home are still acting quickly.

What the price numbers say

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in Salem at $625,000. That is up 1.6% from the same period last year. Prices did not shoot up, but they held. The median home still sold in 22 days, just one day longer than a year ago.

Half of homes still sold above list price

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that exactly 50% of Salem homes sold above their list price. That is down 2.9 points from a year ago. And the average sale-to-list ratio came in at 101.2%, down 0.4 points. Those small dips tell you buyers have a little more room than they did. But sellers with strong pricing are still getting full price and more.

Sales volume is up too

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 148 homes sold in Salem during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 5.7% from the same months of 2025. More homes came to market, and more homes sold. That is not a contradiction. It means demand kept up with supply, at least for now.

The national picture adds some context

Realtor.com reported that active listings nationally topped 1.16 million homes in September 2026. More supply is showing up everywhere, not just Salem. Realtor.com also noted that mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That matters because higher rates make monthly payments bigger and can slow some buyers down.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.4% from August 2025 to August 2026. Salem's 1.6% gain is a bit below that national pace. Prices here did not spike, but they did not fall either.

What this means if you own a home in Salem

One more thing worth saying: these are ZIP code numbers for 01970. One street, one block, or one property type can read very differently from the whole ZIP. A two-family on the south side of Salem is not the same market as a condo near the waterfront. If you want to know what the numbers look like for your specific home, reach out.