Home Costs Top $30,000; Sales Fall

Housing costs and market conditions varied sharply by location in October 2026. Beyond mortgage payments, annual homeownership expenses averaged an estimated $21,466 nationwide and exceeded $30,000 in five states, reaching $35,269 in Hawaii. Maine sales fell 6.58% year over year and the median price dropped 5.63% to $402,500, while New Hampshire’s median price declined nearly $30,000 from September to $543,000 but remained 1.5% above a year earlier. Alexandria sales fell 27.3% year over year even as its median price rose 5.3% to $789,900; across the Washington region, sales declined and the median price slipped slightly, with analysts citing seasonal sluggishness and buyers waiting for better conditions. In Macau, prices reached a 14-year quarterly low in the third quarter, down 4.7% from the prior quarter, even as transactions increased 4.1% year over year.