AUGUSTA – Higher inflation and mortgage rates kept the number of home sales down in Maine in September, while prices inched up compared to September of 2025, according to the Maine Association of Realtors.

The association’s latest data for September showed the median home sale price statewide was $415,000, which is up 2.6% compared to September 2025.

Sales, however, were down. The association’s data also showed 1,526 home sales in September, which is a 4.15% decrease over last year.

“Aside from the traditional slowdown from the summer months, increasing inflationary pressure and higher mortgage rates without a comparable downward adjustment in pricing have sidelined some buyers, especially first-time buyers with no equity from previous home purchases,” said Judy Oberg, a Bridgton-based real estate broker and the association’s president. 

Figures for the region and nationwide showed a similar trend. In the northeast, the median sale price in September went up 4.7% to $523,600, while actual sales figures dropped 4.1%. Nationally, prices also went up, by 1.2% to $422,700, while sales fell 1.9%.

Oberg said the trend could become an advantage for prospective buyers.

“With more homes for sale, the upside for buyers is that that they have more choices, more time, less competition, and more advantage to negotiate a purchase price that matches the current demand,” she said.