Published October 25, 2026 in Market Update

North SA Core sales picked up even with rates above 7%

By Scott Peck

Real estate, Tier 3 Established North SA Core - Equity rich owners, no build compettition, Strategy not propety p

Here is the thing that stands out most. Realtor.com reported mortgage rates topped 7% in September 2026. That is a real headwind for buyers. And yet the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 437 homes sold across North SA Core in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 3.6% from the same three months a year earlier. Buyers are still showing up. That matters if you own here.

More homes sold even as fewer homes were available. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 566 homes for sale across the six ZIP codes combined, down 3.4% from a year ago. Fewer choices for buyers usually means the homes that are priced well do not sit long.

How each ZIP code performed

The story is not the same in every neighborhood. Some ZIPs picked up speed. Others slowed down a little. Here is what the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted for each one in the three months ending August 31, 2026.

ZIP 78232 led the area with 112 homes sold, up 16.7% from a year ago according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Days on market fell 5 days shorter than last year. That said, the median sale price dipped 6.1% to $382,500. More volume, a little less on price. Not unusual when more homes come to market. New listings in 78232 rose 15% year over year.

ZIP 78023 in Helotes was one of the stronger stories. The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed the median sale price rose 9.8% to $483,000. Homes for sale dropped 22.3% from a year ago. Homes sold in 40 days at the median, 13 days faster than last year. About 34.2% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 12 points from a year earlier. That is a meaningful jump.

ZIP 78248 saw the biggest jump in sales volume. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 67 homes sold, up 34% from a year ago. The median sale price rose 6.7% to $600,000. Months of supply fell a full month to 3.2. Pending sales were up 24.5%. That is a lot of activity for a ZIP that does not always move fast.

ZIP 78255 told a different story. Sales rose 18.6% to 70 homes, but the median sale price fell 7.5% to $573,750. Homes took a median of 68 days to sell, 8 days longer than last year. Supply stayed flat at 5.7 months. The good news: 15.7% of homes sold above list price, up 7.2 points. So some homes are getting strong offers, just not all of them.

ZIP 78259 was the one ZIP where sales fell. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 77 homes sold, down 25.2% from a year ago. Even so, homes sold faster, at a median of 39 days, which was 8 days shorter than last year. The median price was $430,000, up 2.4%. Fewer homes sold, but the ones that did moved quickly and held value.

ZIP 78231 was the smallest market in the group. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 28 homes sold, down 3.4%. The median sale price rose 5% to $453,707. Days on market jumped 26 days longer than last year to a median of 44 days. The share of homes going under contract within two weeks fell 27.5 points to 20.7%. Buyers in 78231 are taking more time to decide.

What rates above 7% mean for this market

Realtor.com reported that mortgage rates topped 7% in September 2026. That is a real number. It makes monthly payments bigger, and it keeps some buyers on the sidelines. But the sales count here tells you buyers are still moving. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. North SA Core is holding its own against that backdrop.

CNBC reported that a monthly payment on a median-priced home with a 30-year fixed mortgage now takes up 33% of median family income. In 2022 that share was 26%. That gap is real, and it is why some buyers are slower to commit. But the pending sales count across North SA Core, 439 homes, shows people are still getting to the finish line.

Speed: which ZIPs moved fastest

Four of the six ZIPs had a median of 44 days or fewer. That is a reasonably quick pace for a market with rates above 7%. ZIP 78255 was the outlier at 68 days. More supply and a price dip suggest buyers there have more room to think it over.

Quick contracts: who went under contract within two weeks

In ZIP 78232, 35.7% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is up 11.2 points from a year ago. In Helotes 78023, 34.2% did the same, up 12 points. Those are strong numbers. They tell you that well-priced homes in those areas are not sitting around.

Above list price: where buyers are competing

ZIP 78255 had the highest share of above-list sales at 15.7%, up 7.2 points from a year ago. ZIP 78248 was next at 11.9%, up 5.9 points. So even in the ZIP where prices dipped overall, some homes are still drawing competitive offers. Pricing and condition still drive the outcome.