One part of Needham / Newton / Wellesley is still moving fast above list
These numbers cover the three months ending August 31, 2026. Realtor.com put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. That slows a lot of markets. It did not slow ZIP 02460.
ZIP 02460: the tightest corner of this market
The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 33 homes sold in ZIP 02460 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Nearly two out of three went under contract within two weeks. More than half sold above list. That combination does not show up anywhere else in this market right now.
Those are real shifts, not small ones. A year ago, fewer than 3 in 10 homes in 02460 went under contract that fast. Now it is nearly 2 in 3. Sellers who priced and prepped well got paid for it.
How the rest of Needham / Newton / Wellesley compared
The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 583 homes sold across all 14 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 31, 2026. Most of those ZIPs moved slower and saw fewer above-list sales than 02460. The range is wide.
A few ZIPs where the story shifted the other way
ZIP 02494 tells a different story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 32 homes sold there in the same period, down 20% from a year before. The share that went under contract within two weeks fell 26.6 points, to 32%. Months of supply rose 1.1 months. Sellers there are working harder for the same result.
ZIP 02467 added inventory. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 59 homes for sale, up 20.4% from a year before, and months of supply rose to 3.2 months. The average sale-to-list ratio slipped to 99.5%. Homes still sold, but buyers had more to choose from.
| 02460 | 02494 | |
|---|---|---|
| Median sale price | $1,538,000 | $1,425,500 |
| Median days on market | 15 | 26 |
| Went under contract within 2 weeks | 65.2% | 32% |
| Sold above list price | 57.6% | 31.3% |
| Months of supply | 1.9 | 2.5 |
What rates are doing to buyers across the board
Realtor.com reported the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. CNBC reported the average contract rate on conforming loans climbed to 7.49% the week of October 7, 2026. That is the highest since early 2025. Purchase applications fell 2% for the week, according to CNBC.
Nationally, Realtor.com reported home prices down 1.4% year over year as of October 8, 2026. That is not what we see in the tightest parts of this market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows ZIP 02460 up 11.4% and ZIP 02481 up 10.7% over the same period a year before. The national picture and the local picture are not the same thing.
What this means if you own here
For sellers: the ZIPs with the fastest pace and the most above-list sales share something. Prices were sharp, and homes were ready. That is what drew quick offers. In the slower ZIPs, homes sat longer and sold closer to list, or below.
For buyers: ZIP 02460 moved at 15 days median. If you are targeting that area, you do not have time to think it over for a week. Other ZIPs gave buyers more room. ZIP 02467 at 3.2 months of supply is a different conversation than ZIP 02482 at 0.9 months.
- ZIP 02460 is the fastest, most competitive corner of this market right now.
- 65.2% of homes went under contract within two weeks, and 57.6% sold above list, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator.
- Other ZIPs in Needham, Newton and Wellesley range from nearly as tight to noticeably softer.
- One street can read very differently from the ZIP code around it.
- If you want to know where your address sits, text us.
Your next step
(617) 939-4613Text me your address and I will send back how fast homes like yours are moving in your part of Needham, Newton or Wellesley, and what share sold above list near you. Takes a day, costs nothing.
Text me- Real Estate Data Aggregator numbers for ZIPs 02492, 02494, 02458, 02459, 02460, 02461, 02462, 02464, 02465, 02466, 02467, 02468, 02481 and 02482, the three months ending August 31, 2026, compared with the same months of 2025. Real Estate Data Aggregator last updated them on Oct 7, 2026.
- Realtor.com: September 2026 Monthly Housing Trends: Price Cuts Hit 4-Year Highs as Mortgage Rates Top 7%, Sep 30, 2026
- Federal Housing Finance Agency: FHFA House Price Index® Up 0.3 Percent in July; Up 2.6 Percent from Last Year | FHFA, Sep 29, 2026
- Redfin: One in Five Home Sellers Cut Prices as Buyer’s Market Persists, Sep 30, 2026
- Realtor.com: Mortgage Rates Jump For Seventh Straight Week to 7.40%; Highest Rate in 35 Months, Oct 8, 2026
- CNBC: Refinance demand is now half what it was a year ago, as mortgage rates rise again, Oct 7, 2026
- CNBC: Mortgage rates jump for the sixth straight week, hitting both refinance and homebuyer demand hard, Sep 30, 2026