Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

Primary market stays tight even as national supply rises

By Karen Larson

Real estate, Primary market

The gap between this market and the rest of the country is wide. The National Association of Realtors reports 4.9 months of supply nationally, the highest level in over ten years. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted just 1.1 months of supply in ZIP 53129 for the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is a difference of 3.8 months. Well-prepared listings here still enter a market with very limited competition.

Inventory here also fell sharply. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 16 homes for sale in ZIP 53129, down 33.3% from a year ago. New listings dropped 13.7% over the same period. Fewer choices tend to push buyers to act quickly.

Speed tells the same story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 72.7% of homes in ZIP 53129 went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 2.5 points from a year ago. The median days on market was 29 days, which is 9 days shorter than the same period in 2025. Not every home sold that fast, but the majority did.

Prices dipped a little, but sellers still landed above list

The median sale price in ZIP 53129 was $408,000 for the three months ending July 31, 2026, down 2.9% from a year ago, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is a modest dip worth noting. Even so, the average sale price came in at 105.5% of list price, up 1.6 points from a year ago. That means most sellers received more than they asked. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 71.1% of homes sold above list price, though that share was down 5.8 points from the prior year.

Mortgage rates add pressure for buyers

Financing costs have climbed. Freddie Mac put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. The 15-year fixed rate averaged 6.60% on the same date, also from Freddie Mac. Realtor.com reported that rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025, and that rates rose nearly 40 basis points over the prior four weeks. Buyers working with tight budgets will want to plan their financing carefully before they search.

Nationally, the picture is softer. The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales reached 3.98 million in August 2026, down 2.0% month over month. Realtor.com noted that active listings nationally rose 6.3% from a year ago, the fastest pace in at least six months. Primary market is moving in a different direction from that national trend.

These numbers cover all of ZIP 53129. One street can read very differently from the ZIP code as a whole. Price, condition, and location within the market all shape the outcome for any individual home.