Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

Roslindale is tighter than the national market

By Juan Murray

Real estate, Roslindale

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings took a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. Roslindale is not following that pattern. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted just 1.6 months of supply in ZIP 02131 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That number has not moved in a year. Sellers here are not chasing buyers. Buyers here are still competing for limited inventory.

For context, the national backdrop is getting harder. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. CNBC reported that mortgage applications to purchase a home were 15% lower than the same week one year ago. Higher rates are slowing buyer activity across the country. In Roslindale, demand is still outpacing what is available.

Prices are up, and homes are still selling over asking

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median sale price in Roslindale reached $791,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 11.6% from the same period in 2025. Nationally, Realtor.com reported home prices down 1.4% year over year in October 2026. The Federal Housing Finance Agency put national year-over-year price growth at just 2.6% through July 2026. Roslindale's 11.6% gain sits well above both of those figures.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 52.1% of Roslindale homes sold above list price in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That share is down 1.4 points from a year ago, a small dip. Still, more than half of homes are closing above asking. That does not happen in a soft market.

Inventory is thin, and new listings are slipping

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 49 homes for sale in Roslindale during the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 8.9% from a year ago, a small gain. But new listings fell 2.3% over the same period, down to 84. More demand, fewer fresh options. That is why supply is stuck at 1.6 months and not moving.

Pending sales tell the same story. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 77 pending sales in Roslindale for the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 13.2% from a year ago. There are more buyers going under contract than there are homes currently listed. That gap keeps pressure on prices and keeps days on market short.

What this means if you own in Roslindale

Nationally, rising rates are giving buyers more room to negotiate. Realtor.com reported mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. CNBC put the average 30-year conforming rate at 7.49% for the week ending October 7, 2026. Those rates matter. They shrink the buyer pool everywhere. In Roslindale, the pool is still large enough to keep the market tight. But pricing still has to be sharp. The 52% of homes that went under contract within two weeks, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator, were priced to move. The ones that were not are still sitting.

One more thing worth knowing: the numbers above cover all of ZIP 02131. Roslindale Village, the Arboretum edge, and Bellevue Hill can each read differently from the ZIP as a whole. One street can tell a very different story than the average.