Bel Air Real Estate Market Update: October 2026 vs. Earlier This Year

by Josh Tessier

Last updated: Oct. 24, 2026

Bel Air home prices are holding steady. But buyers have more to choose from than they did in spring, homes are taking longer to sell, and mortgage rates are near their highest point of the year.

The 30-year rate was 7.32% on Oct. 22, 2026, per Freddie Mac. It was 5.98% in late February.

How have mortgage rates changed in 2026?

Up. A lot. Here's the weekly Freddie Mac 30-year average.

Line chart of the Freddie Mac 30-year mortgage rate in 2026, from a low of 5.98 percent on Feb. 26 to 7.40 percent on Oct. 8 and 7.32 percent on Oct. 22 — *30-year mortgage rate, weekly, Jan. 8 to Oct. 22, 2026. Source: Freddie Mac PMMS.*

Graphic: joshtalksharford.com. Data: Freddie Mac PMMS, Jan. 8 to Oct. 22, 2026.

Week of (2026)	30-year fixed	15-year fixed
Jan. 8	6.16%	5.46%
Feb. 26 (year low)	5.98%	5.44%
Apr. 2	6.46%	5.77%
Jun. 25	6.49%	5.84%
Aug. 27	6.66%	5.98%
Sep. 24	7.03%	6.42%
Oct. 1	7.28%	6.60%
Oct. 8	7.40%	6.73%
Oct. 15	7.40%	6.71%
Oct. 22	7.32%	6.68%

Source: Freddie Mac PMMS, weekly U.S. averages, Jan. 8 to Oct. 22, 2026.

The last few weeks are the story. Rates jumped from 6.71% on Sept. 3 to 7.40% by Oct. 8. Then they dipped a bit to 7.32% on Oct. 22. A year ago, the rate was 6.19%.

Freddie Mac posts a new rate every Thursday at noon ET. The next one is Oct. 29.

What does that rate jump do to a monthly payment?

Here's a real example. I used Bel Air's 21014 median list price in September, $422,000, with 20% down. That's a $337,600 loan.

30-year rate	When	Monthly principal and interest
5.98%	Feb. 26, 2026	$2,020
6.46%	Apr. 2, 2026	$2,125
7.32%	Oct. 22, 2026	$2,319

Math: standard 30-year payment on a $337,600 loan. Price from Realtor.com, September 2026. Rates from Freddie Mac PMMS. Taxes, insurance and HOA not included.

That's about $300 more a month than in February. Same house. Same price.

Are Bel Air home prices going down?

No. Prices are flat to slightly up. Different sources measure it different ways, so here's a range.

Source	Bel Air 21014	Bel Air 21015	What it measures
Redfin	$454,866 (up 6.3%)	$474,860 (up 5.5%)	Median sale price, 3 months ending Sept. 2026, vs. a year ago
TopHap	$441,667 (up 4.7%)	$456,667 (up 10.5%)	Median sale price, recorded deeds through Sept. 2026, vs. a year ago
Zillow (ZHVI)	$445,033 (up about 1.0%)	$479,102 (up about 0.8%)	Typical home value, Sept. 2026 vs. Sept. 2025

Sources: Redfin, TopHap and Zillow ZIP code data, checked Oct. 22 to 24, 2026.

So a typical Bel Air home sells somewhere in the mid-$400s. Your home's value depends on your street, size and condition. Ask me for a real number.

Countywide, the Harford median sale price was $403,495 in September. That's up 2.2% from a year ago, per Bright MLS.

How many homes are for sale in Bel Air?

More than any month this year. Here's the count of active listings by ZIP.

Bar chart of active listings in Bel Air ZIP codes 21014 and 21015 by month, January to September 2026: 21014 rose from 35 to 100 and 21015 from 45 to 81 — *Bel Air active listings by ZIP, Jan. to Sept. 2026. Source: Realtor.com.*

Graphic: joshtalksharford.com. Data: Realtor.com, Jan. to Sept. 2026.

2026	21014 active	21014 median days	21014 share with price cut	21015 active	21015 median days	21015 share with price cut
Jan.	35	35	7.3%	45	55	14.6%
Mar.	42	14	12.6%	49	26	12.7%
May	61	18	17.8%	64	23	14.6%
Jul.	80	25	21.7%	78	30	26.7%
Sept.	100	32	19.4%	81	37	25.2%

Source: Realtor.com Residential Listings Database, monthly ZIP history, Jan. to Sept. 2026. "Median days" is median days on market for active listings.

What jumps out:

21014 listings nearly tripled from January to September. Realtor.com shows September up 82.6% from a year ago.
Days on market more than doubled in 21014 since spring, from 14 in March to 32 in September.
1 in 5 to 1 in 4 listings had a price cut in September (19.4% in 21014, 25.2% in 21015).

How does Harford County compare?

Same trend. More homes, a little slower, prices steady.

2026	Homes sold	Median sale price	Median days on market	Active listings
Jan.	162	$369,995	23	447
Feb.	178	$372,495	13	424
Mar.	247	$373,000	19	420
Apr.	268	$400,000	8	516
May	278	$418,000	8	549
Jun.	305	$415,000	7	605
Jul.	307	$424,108	10	665
Aug.	260	$405,000	16	641
Sept.	287	$403,495	22	747

Source: Maryland REALTORS monthly housing statistics from Bright MLS, Harford County, Jan. to Sept. 2026. September also confirmed in the Bright MLS Baltimore Metro report (data as of Oct. 6, 2026).

September vs. a year ago in Harford:

Homes sold: up 9.1%
Median price: up 2.2%
Active listings: up 28.4%
New listings: 321, up 10.7%
Pending sales: 215, down 21.0%
Months of supply: 2.85, up from about 2.2

Pending sales falling while listings climb tells me the fall market is cooling. Not crashing. Cooling.

What does this mean if you're buying in Bel Air?

You have more room to breathe than in spring.

More choices. Way more homes on the market than in January.
More time. Homes sit longer, so you're less likely to be rushed.
More room to negotiate. In September, 1 in 5 to 1 in 4 Bel Air listings had cut their price.
Higher payments. Rates are the tradeoff. Get pre-approved and know your number.

Rates move every week. Talk to a local lender about your options.

What does this mean if you're selling in Bel Air?

Prices are holding. But buyers are pickier.

Price it right on day one. Overpriced homes are the ones taking cuts.
Make it look great. More competition means photos and condition matter more.
Plan for more time. Think weeks, not days.

Want a deeper look by town? See my Harford County home prices by town and the September market update.

What's next for the Bel Air market?

October numbers come out in early to mid November. I'll update this post then. In the meantime, I'll watch the Thursday rate releases.

Curious what your Bel Air home is worth right now? Send me a message. Learn more about the town on my Bel Air page.

FAQ

What is the current 30-year mortgage rate?

Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed average was 7.32% on Oct. 22, 2026, down from 7.40% the week before. A year earlier it was 6.19%.

Are home prices dropping in Bel Air, MD?

No. Bel Air prices are flat to slightly up from a year ago. Redfin, TopHap and Zillow put typical Bel Air prices in the mid-$400s as of September 2026.

How many homes are for sale in Bel Air?

Realtor.com counted 100 active listings in 21014 and 81 in 21015 in September 2026. That is the most in 21014 of any month this year.

How long does it take to sell a home in Bel Air?

In September 2026, the median active listing in 21014 had been on the market 32 days, up from 14 in March. In Harford County, the median home sold in 22 days in September.

Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Bel Air?

It is shifting toward buyers. Harford County had 2.85 months of supply in September 2026, which is still low, but listings, days on market and price cuts are all up since spring.

About the author: Josh Tessier is a Harford County REALTOR® with the Lee Tessier Team at eXp Realty, based in Bel Air. He has 16+ years in real estate and has sold 550+ homes personally. He lives in Harford County and is raising his family here.

Harford County real estate agent Josh Tessier — *Josh Tessier, REALTOR® with the Lee Tessier Team.*
Josh's own headshot.

Watch more on my YouTube channel: Josh Talks Harford. Follow along on Facebook and Instagram.

Sources

All checked Oct. 22 to 24, 2026.

Mortgage rates (weekly, Jan. 8 to Oct. 22, 2026) - Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey (30-year 7.32% and 15-year 6.68% as of Oct. 22, 2026; released Thursdays at 12 p.m. ET): https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms - Freddie Mac, PMMS weekly history (CSV, used for the rate chart and table): https://www.freddiemac.com/pmms/docs/PMMS_history.csv - Freddie Mac news release, "Mortgage Rates Decrease to 7.32%" (Oct. 22, 2026): https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/22/3386709/0/en/mortgage-rates-decrease-to-7-32.html - Associated Press, "Average long-term US mortgage rate eases to 7.32% in first pullback since late August" (Oct. 22, 2026): https://apnews.com/article/interest-rates-housing-inflation-mortgages-204f5d642d88ab55992a6f0e9ccbe8e9

Bel Air ZIP code listings (monthly, Jan. to Sept. 2026) - Realtor.com Economic Research, Residential Listings Database, ZIP history (active listings, median list price, median days on market, price-reduced share): https://econdata.s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/Reports/Core/RDC_Inventory_Core_Metrics_Zip_History.csv - Realtor.com Economic Research, data library: https://www.realtor.com/research/data/

Bel Air ZIP code prices - Redfin, 21014 Housing Market (3 months ending Sept. 2026: $454,866, up 6.3%; 22 days vs. 13): https://www.redfin.com/zipcode/21014/housing-market - Redfin, 21015 Housing Market (3 months ending Sept. 2026: $474,860, up 5.5%; 31 days vs. 30): https://www.redfin.com/zipcode/21015/housing-market - TopHap, Bel Air 21014 (recorded deeds through Sept. 2026: $441,667, up 4.7%): https://www.tophap.com/market/21014/zip/21014 - TopHap, Bel Air 21015 (recorded deeds through Sept. 2026: $456,667, up 10.5%): https://www.tophap.com/market/BEL-AIR-MD-21015/zip/21015 - Zillow Research, ZHVI by ZIP (mid-tier, smoothed, seasonally adjusted; Sept. 2025 and Sept. 2026): https://files.zillowstatic.com/research/public_csvs/zhvi/Zip_zhvi_uc_sfrcondo_tier_0.33_0.67_sm_sa_month.csv