Greater Lowell & Southern NH Summer Market Update

By Chris Doherty

Christian Doherty lists and sells more homes than any other agent in the Greater Lowell, Massachusetts market with over 300 homes sold in the past 12 months. Chris is ranked in the top 1% of all agents in the United States.

If you’ve been keeping an eye on the housing market this year, you already know the story has shifted. There’s a lot happening globally right now, and it’s impacting real estate locally in a real way.

What’s driving rates right now? The issues overseas are putting upward pressure on rates. Right now, rates are sitting in the mid-sixes, getting close to that seven mark, and that’s not where we want them. Earlier this year, we were tapering down into the fives before the situation with Iran took hold. Oil prices are high, and the rate relief a lot of buyers were hoping for has been put on hold for now.

That has a direct impact on affordability, and I want to talk honestly about it.

What I’m seeing locally. In Middlesex County, Greater Lowell, and Southern New Hampshire, here’s the snapshot.

Single-family prices continue to climb, more so in Southern New Hampshire than in Northern Massachusetts. The demand is there, and with inventory still relatively tight, prices aren’t backing off.

The condo market is seeing a strong resurgence. That’s partly an affordability play. People are realizing they can get a better product for less money in the condo market. Yes, there are condo fees, but the entry point is more realistic for a lot of buyers right now, and that’s driving activity.

On the rental side, we’re seeing a huge jump in inventory in Greater Lowell and Southern New Hampshire, particularly in areas like Lowell, Haverhill, and Lawrence. Rental inventory between 2025 and 2026 has skyrocketed. If you’re a landlord, that’s something to pay attention to because more supply means more competition for tenants.

Overall, inventory is still relatively tight on the sales side. It looks a lot like 2025. There’s a bit more to choose from, but it’s not overwhelming. Open houses are busy, but they’re not packed. Offers are coming in at one, two, or three, not ten or twenty. And I’m hearing from a lot of buyers who are saying, “Where’s the home I want? I haven’t seen it on the market yet.”

The affordability conversation. I just spoke with a client who wants to sell his house and find a new one. I asked him what his budget was. He said, “I don’t want to go over a million.” And that’s a number I hear often now. No longer are the days of the $300,000 to $400,000 home. The affordability crisis has hit this country hard, and it’s hit our area in particular.

But here’s the thing. The market is still moving. People are buying and selling. And there’s actually a strong case for buying right now.

Why smart buyers move when rates are high. If you’re the smart buyer, you want to go when interest rates are high because that generally means there’s a little less competition. Open houses aren’t packed. You’re not competing against ten other offers. You can negotiate. You can be thoughtful.

And if anything happens in the world that brings rates down, you’ll have already locked in your home before the crowd rushes back in. That’s the window that a lot of people miss. They wait for rates to drop, and by the time they do, everyone else is waiting for the same thing, and the competition spikes right back up.

Interest rates really do control where and how the market moves. But overall, the market is steady as it goes. Summer is beautiful. People are out there. If you want to sell, buy, rent, or are a landlord looking for help, I’d love to hear from you. Call or text me at (978) 746-0124, email me at chris@dohertyproperties.com, or visit chrisdoherty.com. That’s what I do, and I love doing it.