Published October 28, 2026 in Market Update

Freeport and Surfside buyers had more choices, but homes still took longer to sell

By April Aberle, REALTOR® | RE/MAX Crossroads Realty

Real estate, Freeport/Surfside Beach

The one number that changes what a seller should do right now: homes in the Freeport and Surfside Beach area sat on the market a median of 114 days in the three months ending August 31, 2026, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is 45 days longer than the same stretch a year before. Forty-five days is a lot. It means buyers are taking their time, and sellers who are not ready for that will feel it.

Part of what is driving this is rates. Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% for the first time since January 2025 in September 2026. CNBC put the average 30-year fixed rate at 7.37% as of October 28, 2026. When borrowing costs are that high, buyers slow down. They compare more homes. They ask more questions. They negotiate harder.

That shows up in the numbers. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 231 homes for sale in ZIP 77541 during that same period. New listings were up 13.1% from a year before. More homes coming in, fewer going under contract. The result is 13.1 months of supply, up 0.5 months from a year ago. A balanced market is usually around six months. This one is running more than twice that.

Prices held up, but sellers gave more ground at the table

Here is the honest part: prices did not fall. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in ZIP 77541 at $265,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 6% from the same period a year before. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026, so this area kept pace and then some on price.

But sellers gave ground in other ways. The average sale came in at 93.8% of list price, down 1.5 points from a year before, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Only 3.7% of homes sold above list, down 5.3 points. And just 4.4% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, down 16.4 points from the year before. Buyers are not rushing. They are reading inspection reports and asking for concessions.

What this means if you are selling

With 13.1 months of supply, buyers have real options. A home that is overpriced or under-prepared will sit. The 114-day median tells you that most homes are sitting. Pricing close to where similar homes actually closed, not where sellers hoped, is what moves homes in this market. The 93.8% sale-to-list ratio says buyers are landing about 6 cents below every dollar of list price, on average.

For coastal homes in this area, windstorm coverage and elevation certificates matter to buyers and their lenders. Having those documents ready can shorten a buyer's due diligence and reduce the chance of a deal falling apart late.

What this means if you are buying

You have more room to compare. With 231 homes for sale and only 54 sold in the same three-month window, you are not competing against a crowd. CNBC reported that mortgage purchase applications rose 4% for the week ending October 28, 2026, and that adjustable-rate mortgages hit 11.3% of all applications, the highest share in more than a year. Some buyers are exploring ARMs to manage the rate. That is worth a conversation with your lender.

Whether you are looking in Freeport or at a beach property in Surfside, these are different products with different buyers, different insurance considerations, and different price points. Do not assume the same market conditions apply to both without looking at the specifics.

One more thing worth saying: ZIP 77541 covers a wide area. One street in Freeport can read very differently from a canal lot in Surfside or a home closer to the Brazosport plant corridor. The ZIP-wide numbers give you the big picture. Your specific address tells the real story. If you want to know what the numbers look like for your home, text me your address and I will pull it together.