Kathleen Militello, Realtor® The Militello Team COASTAL HOMES & LIVING

Local insights · The Militello Team

Market Knowledge

Market headlines change fast, but the numbers behind them tell a steadier story. These posts dig into North Shore real estate data, interest rates, and the trends that actually shape home values.

Stories in Market Knowledge

17 stories

A traditional white coastal New England home on a rocky outcrop overlooking the ocean, above Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester, Massachusetts

Market Knowledge · November 1, 2026 · 9 min read

Preparing Your North Shore Home for Winter: A Seller's Checklist

Winter on Boston's Coastal North Shore is quieter than spring, and for serious sellers that can be exactly the point. The buyers who are out looking in January are usually moving on a timeline: a new job, a transfer, a closing they want before spring. They are not just browsing, and with fewer homes competing for their attention, a well-prepared house stands out even more. This checklist walks through the practical preparation that makes a North Shore home show well in the cold, from the roof to the paperwork.

A traditional two-story North Shore home with light siding and white trim, set on a sunny lawn with a clear sky

Market Knowledge · October 29, 2026 · 8 min read

The North Shore's Two Housing Markets: Move-In Ready vs. Needs Work

On Boston's Coastal North Shore, buyers are really shopping two different markets at once. There are homes that are move-in ready, and there are homes that need work, and the two sell at different prices, on different timelines, to different buyers. Understanding which market your home belongs in, or which one you are shopping in, makes a real difference in how the sale or the purchase goes.

Boats moored in a North Shore harbor with town rooftops beyond the water

Market Update · October 12, 2026 · 7 min read

The North Shore Market Is Rebalancing: What the September Numbers Tell Us

The September 2026 MAR Local Market Update reports show a North Shore market that is still strong but slowly rebalancing: median prices are up in most towns, inventory is climbing, and months of supply is rising toward balance. It is still a seller's market, but a softer one, and buyers finally have a little more room to negotiate.

An autumn pumpkin patch graphic for the Mortgage Rates Hit 7.40% Local Insights post

Market Insights · October 9, 2026 · 8 min read

Mortgage Rates Hit 7.40%: What Does It Really Cost to Buy a Home on Boston's North Shore?

On October 8, Freddie Mac reported a national average 30-year fixed mortgage rate of 7.40%, up from 6.30% one year earlier. That single point changes the monthly payment and the buying power for buyers on the North Shore by real money. This guide runs the actual numbers for local price points, so you know what today's rate really costs before you make an offer.

A cozy autumn workspace scene titled Interest Rates 2026

Market Insights · October 8, 2026 · 9 min read

Interest Rates Are the Story of 2026: What They Mean for Buyers and Sellers

Interest rates have pushed back above 7% this fall, the first time in more than two years, and they are the single biggest topic in real estate right now. For buyers, the question is how much a higher rate actually adds to a payment. For sellers, the question is what that means for their home's market. And for a growing number of households on both sides, the answer is an assumable mortgage. Here is what it all means, in plain numbers.

An illustrated graphic explaining how the new real estate commission rules work for North Shore buyers and sellers

Buyer & Seller Guides · October 7, 2026 · 12 min read

How the New Real Estate Commission Rules Work: A Plain-English Guide for North Shore Buyers and Sellers

The way buyer agents get paid changed after the 2024 industry settlement. Here is how buyer agency agreements work now, who pays what, how commissions are negotiated and disclosed, and the questions worth asking before you sign anything on the North Shore.

A colonial-style North Shore home with charcoal siding, white trim, and a coral front door

Market Insights · October 7, 2026 · 10 min read

The North Shore Market in 2026: More Homes, Longer Timelines, and Smarter Pricing

The Massachusetts housing market has shifted. Active inventory passed 10,000 listings earlier in 2026 than in recent years, homes are taking longer to sell, and price reductions are far more common. The lock-in effect is still real, but it is no longer the dominant force; 2026 is a more balanced market with more choices for buyers and a bigger premium on smart pricing and preparation for sellers.

A for sale sign and a days on market calendar in front of a coastal North Shore home

Market Knowledge · October 2, 2026 · 3 min read

Days on Market on the North Shore: What a Fast or Slow Sale Actually Tells You

Days on market is one of the most useful numbers in a market report, and one of the most misunderstood. A home that sells in a week and a home that sits for three months are telling you different things, and neither is automatically good or bad.

Sunset over a North Shore harbor with boats at mooring

Market Knowledge · September 30, 2026 · 6 min read

Fall 2026 North Shore Housing Market Update

The North Shore market entered fall 2026 with prices still climbing and homes still selling quickly. Essex County's median sale price was $747,391 in June 2026, up 3.5 percent year over year, with a median 32 days on market, according to Redfin and Realtor®.com data. This update reports the latest verifiable figures for the region and for individual towns, each attributed to its source and month.

Coastal shingle-style homes along a rocky North Shore shoreline

Home Value & Pricing · September 29, 2026 · 4 min read

Is a Zillow Zestimate Accurate? What the Number Really Means

A Zestimate is a starting point, not a value. It uses public records and algorithms and does not see your home's condition, updates, views, or how the market feels this week, so it can be off by a wide margin on coastal properties. Here is what the online number really means, and where the evidence for a real value comes from.

Elevated view over a Massachusetts North Shore harbor village

Market Knowledge · September 25, 2026 · 4 min read

Median vs. Average Home Price: What North Shore Market Reports Actually Tell You

The median home price is the middle of the market; the average is a number that a few very expensive sales can pull sideways. When you read that the North Shore is up or down, knowing which of the two you are looking at is half the battle.

Photo coming soon

Market Knowledge · September 24, 2026 · 8 min read

Appraisal Changes Coming November 2, 2026: What North Shore Sellers and Agents Need to Know

Beginning November 2, 2026, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac will require the new Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6, known as UAD 3.6, for appraisal reports submitted through their systems. It is one of the biggest appraisal modernization changes in more than a decade, and it changes what Massachusetts sellers, and the real estate agents who list their homes, need to document before a property ever goes on the market. Here is what North Shore sellers should know now.

Market Knowledge · September 23, 2026 · 7 min read

Empty Nesters Are Driving the North Shore's Most Interesting Moves: Here's the Pattern

Empty nesters are some of the most motivated movers on the North Shore. They sell the larger home while equity is strong, trade high carrying costs for a more manageable place, and often gain flexibility rather than losing it. Here is the pattern Kathleen has watched repeat for more than two decades.

New England colonial home glowing with warm light at autumn dusk

Buying Your Next Home · September 23, 2026 · 2 min read

Mortgage Rates Are Headline News. Here's What Actually Matters for Your Move

Rates move, headlines shout, and buyers freeze. But seasoned North Shore buyers know this: the rate in the news is not the rate you get. Your monthly payment is what matters, and a good lender can usually find a better number than the headline.

Classic white clapboard North Shore home with black shutters on a leaf-covered lawn in late November

Market Knowledge · September 23, 2026 · 2 min read

List Now or Wait for Spring? The Pre-Holiday Math for Sellers

"Wait for spring" is the oldest advice in real estate. But on the coastal North Shore, the people who move in the colder months often have deadlines: a new job, a transfer, a closing scheduled before year-end. Those buyers do not disappear in November, they get more serious.

North Shore harbor town in October with sailboats at mooring and fall foliage along the waterfront

Market Knowledge · September 23, 2026 · 3 min read

North Shore Fall 2026: What Buyers and Sellers Should Watch This Season

Every fall on the North Shore, the market shifts gear. The summer wave of buyers settles down, the school year locks in routines, and the buyers still out looking are usually serious ones.

The front exterior of the home at 5B Plover Way in Gloucester, with a covered porch and white picket fence

Buyer & Seller Tips · August 7, 2026 · 12 min read

Will I Owe Capital Gains Tax When I Sell My North Shore Home?

The 2026 guide to the primary residence exclusion, calculating your gain, and keeping more of your sale proceeds.

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