Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

More Salem listings are giving buyers a little more room

By Cynthia Nina-Soto | Nina-Soto Realty

Real estate, Salem (SF)

The one fact that changes what you should do right now: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 107 homes for sale in Salem's 01970 ZIP code in the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 37.2% from the same period a year before. More supply means buyers have more to compare. That usually means sellers get more scrutiny, not less.

That jump in inventory is the story. Everything else below flows from it.

What the numbers actually show

Prices are not falling. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price at $620,000 for the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 0.8% from the same period last year. That is a small gain, not a surge. Steady is the honest word for it.

Homes still sold in a median of 21 days, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is only one day longer than a year ago. Salem is not slow. But buyers are getting a little more breathing room than they had.

Where sellers are feeling it most

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows that 51.7% of Salem homes sold above list price in those three months. That sounds strong, and it is. But it was down 8.7 points from a year before. Fewer homes are sparking bidding wars.

The average sale price came in at 101.3% of list price, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Sellers are still getting over asking on average. But that ratio dropped 1.1 points from a year ago. The margin is thinner.

The share of homes going under contract within two weeks dropped 10.5 points, to 57.2%, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. More than half of Salem homes still moved fast. But the days of nearly every home flying off the market are easing.

The national picture adds context

Salem is not alone in this shift. Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings nationally had price cuts in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. Active listings topped 1.16 million homes for sale nationally in September 2026, also per Realtor.com. Mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025, also per Realtor.com. That matters because higher rates squeeze what buyers can afford, and that puts more pressure on list prices everywhere.

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Salem's 0.8% gain is smaller than that national figure. Prices here are holding, not racing.

What this means if you are buying

More homes for sale means you have more to compare. You are less likely to feel forced into a decision in 48 hours. That said, good homes in Salem still move. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 57.2% of homes going under contract within two weeks. Preparation still matters.

What this means if you are selling

Buyers have options now that they did not have a year ago. Pricing too high gives them a reason to move on. Condition matters more when there are 107 other homes to look at. The sale-to-list ratio is still above 100%, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator, so well-priced, well-prepared homes are still getting strong results.

One more thing: these numbers cover all of ZIP code 01970. One street, one block, or one property type can read very differently from the ZIP as a whole. What matters most is what is happening right around your address.