Published November 1, 2026 in Market Update

Ottawa County saw more sales even as fewer owners listed homes

By Michelle Teitsma

Real estate, Ottawa County

Fewer homes hit the market in Ottawa County this summer. Yet more of them sold. That gap is the one number every homeowner here should know right now.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 278 homes sold across Ottawa County in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 12.1% from the same months of 2025. At the same time, new listings fell 14.9% and homes for sale dropped 9%. More buyers, fewer choices. That combination tends to reward sellers who price well from the start.

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that active listings topped 1.16 million homes in September 2026. Ottawa County is moving in the opposite direction. Inventory here is tighter, not looser. Buyers searching this market are working with a shorter list of options.

Realtor.com also reported that mortgage rates surged above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That is a real headwind for buyers. It means monthly costs are higher, and some buyers may be stretching further to close a deal.

How each ZIP code read in the same period

The county-wide number covers three different stories. Here is what the Real Estate Data Aggregator found in each ZIP code for the three months ending August 31, 2026.

Grand Haven (49417): fast sales, prices dipped a little

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 128 homes sold in Grand Haven in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 4.9% from a year before. The median sale price was $422,700, down 1.5% from 2025. Prices slipped slightly, but homes still moved. The median days on market was just 11 days, one day shorter than 2025. Sellers averaged 99.6% of their list price. That is up 1 point from last year.

New listings in Grand Haven fell 19.1% from 2025. That is the steepest drop of the three ZIP codes. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 46.3% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That share is up 1.2 points from last year. Buyers in Grand Haven are deciding quickly.

Spring Lake (49456): prices up, homes moving faster

Spring Lake saw 117 homes sold in the three months ending August 31, 2026, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That is up 9.3% from 2025. The median sale price reached $485,000, up 7.8% from a year before. That is the strongest price gain of the three ZIP codes.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator found the median days on market in Spring Lake was 18 days. That is 8 days shorter than the same period in 2025. Nearly 44.5% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 4.3 points from last year. Homes for sale slipped 3.3% from 2025, to 87 available listings.

West Olive (49460): the sharpest sales jump, still the most patience needed

West Olive is the smallest of the three ZIP codes by volume. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 33 homes sold in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 73.7% from the same months of 2025. Small markets can swing big in percentage terms, so read that number with that in mind.

The median sale price in West Olive was $600,000, down 6.8% from 2025. That is the highest price of the three ZIP codes, and also the biggest price dip. Homes took a median of 37 days to sell, 1 day longer than last year. Not every home here moved fast. But the Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 24.2% sold above list price, up 13.7 points from 2025. That is a meaningful shift toward stronger offers.

Homes for sale in West Olive fell 48.1% from 2025, to just 14 available listings. Months of supply dropped 3.1 months, to 1.3 months. Buyers here are working with very few options.

What the national picture adds

The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. house prices rose 2.4% from August 2025 to August 2026. Spring Lake's 7.8% gain ran well ahead of that national pace. Grand Haven and West Olive both saw prices dip, which is worth knowing if you are setting a list price in either area.

Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September 2026. That is the highest share since October 2022. Ottawa County's tight inventory offers some protection against that trend. But overpriced homes can still sit, even in a supply-short market.