Good morning. For a Bucks homeowner planning to sell and buy again, last week's mortgage update deserves a look alongside the local sale prices. Freddie Mac's national 30-year average moved above 7%, while August remains our latest county report.
This Week in the Market
Mortgage rates: 7.03% for the national 30-year fixed average. Freddie Mac's September 24 survey was up from 6.95% the previous week. A year earlier, the average was 6.30%. The latest reading covers applications from September 17-23, so it's a useful benchmark for the financing conversation, not a quote for an individual borrower. See the rate report.
Bucks County, August 2026: $530,000 median sold price · 662 homes sold. This is the same county report we covered last Tuesday, released September 11 by the Bucks County Association of REALTORS. The median was unchanged from August 2025, while sales were up 2.3%. The report also counted 981 active homes at August's end. Read the county report.
The Trendlines
Regional buyer interest softened in August. The Bright MLS/T3 Home Demand Index for the Philadelphia metro came in at 77, down from 82 in the preceding report and 79 a year earlier. The publisher rates that reading as Slow. Its September report, released September 11, uses August activity. Read the regional report.
The index tracks shopping activity, including online views and in-person showings. It covers the wider metro, including Bucks. The Slow rating describes this regional index; it doesn't classify every neighborhood in Bucks the same way.
Jim's Read
If you're selling and buying again, I'd get the financing conversation started before deciding what the move can look like. Use a realistic sale estimate to work out the cash available for the next purchase. Then have your lender price the loan you'd actually need, including the full monthly payment.
That keeps an old preapproval or a rate headline from doing too much work in your budget. If the next payment changes what you're comfortable spending, it's better to know before choosing the next house.
On the sale side, I'd still price against comparable homes and the listings a buyer can choose today. A higher mortgage rate doesn't tell us to take a fixed percentage off an asking price. What I'd watch is how those competing homes move as the September county results become available.
Three Bucks sales from September 25
These three homes closed September 25. They're selected examples, not a representative county sample.
Fairless Hills, Falls Township · $305,000
This detached ranch sold for $305,000 with 3 bedrooms and 1 full bath, in about 960 square feet above grade. The bedrooms and laundry are on the main floor. The listing described the home as needing cosmetic updates and reported that its HVAC was replaced in 2020. See the sold property.
Bensalem · $435,000
This detached ranch closed at $435,000 with 4 bedrooms and 1½ baths. The listing reports about 1,428 square feet of living area. Three bedrooms are on the main level; the fourth is downstairs, along with the half bath. An attached one-car garage and a three-season room add to the layout. See the sold property.
Doylestown Station · $549,000
This 3-bedroom townhouse in Doylestown Township sold for $549,000. Its listing gives about 2,039 square feet of living area. The laundry is on the second floor with the bedrooms. Downstairs, the family room has access to the backyard and the attached two-car garage. See the sold property.
This Week's Question
Any moves on your horizon?
Until Next Tuesday
Thinking through a sale and your next purchase? Hit reply with the part you're trying to work out.
Jim
Sources: BCAR/Bright MLS, August county results; Bright MLS/T3, September report using August regional activity; Freddie Mac, September 24 mortgage survey; linked public listing pages for the September 25 sales.
Living in the Philadelphia Suburbs, by Jim Stevenson · Realtor® · Real Broker