Published October 5, 2026 in Market Update

Ottawa County sales rose even as inventory fell

By Michelle Teitsma

Real estate, Ottawa County

The one fact that changes what you should do right now: the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 279 homes sold across Ottawa County in the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 9% from a year before. At the same time, homes for sale fell 10.8% to just 190. More buyers are competing for fewer choices. That means pricing and timing matter more than ever.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported active listings topped 1.16 million homes in September 2026. Ottawa County tells a different story. Inventory here is tighter, and deals are moving faster. The local market is on its own path.

Realtor.com also reported mortgage rates surged above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That is slowing some buyers nationally. Here in Ottawa County, pending sales still rose 13%. Local demand is holding up.

How each ZIP code looked

The three ZIP codes that make up this market each read a little differently. Here is what the Real Estate Data Aggregator counted for the three months ending July 31, 2026.

ZIP 49417: the fastest-moving market

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 145 homes sold in ZIP 49417, up 16.9% from a year before. That is the strongest sales gain of any ZIP here. The median sale price was $435,000, up 1.2%.

Homes in 49417 sat on the market a median of just 9 days. That is 7 days shorter than a year before. More than half, 53.3%, went under contract within two weeks of listing. That share rose 12.8 points from last year.

Sellers in 49417 are doing well at the table. The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the average sale price at 99.8% of list, up 1.3 points. More than 1 in 3 homes, 35.2%, sold above asking price, up 6.2 points from a year before.

ZIP 49456: prices climbed sharply

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 108 homes sold in ZIP 49456, up 4.9%. The median sale price rose 22% to $487,950. That is the biggest price jump of any ZIP in this market.

Homes here sold in a median of 18 days, which is 8 days shorter than a year before. Nearly half, 48.4%, went under contract within two weeks. That share jumped 10.1 points from last year.

Not every sign points up in 49456. The share of homes selling above list dipped 2.1 points to 22.2%. The sale-to-list ratio slipped 0.5 points to 98.4%. Small moves, but worth knowing if you are setting a price.

ZIP 49460: fewer sales, but sellers still close near asking

ZIP 49460 is the smallest piece of this market. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 26 homes sold, down 10.3%. Homes for sale fell sharply too, down 48.4% to just 16.

Homes here took a median of 36 days to sell, 13 days longer than a year before. Choice is very thin, and fewer deals are getting done. That said, the median sale price still rose 2.3% to $619,000. Sellers are still closing near asking, at 98.9% of list.

Pending sales in 49460 rose 39.1%, and 34.4% of homes went under contract within two weeks. Demand is there. Supply is the constraint.

What the national picture adds

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Ottawa County's 49456 outpaced that, with a 22% median price gain. The other two ZIPs tracked closer to the national pace.

Realtor.com reported 20.8% of listings nationally had a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. Ottawa County is not showing that same softness. Sale-to-list ratios here stayed close to 99% or better in two of three ZIPs.