TL;DR
Statewide: Freddie Mac's 30-year fixed average hit 7.03% (Sept. 24). That is the first reading at or above 7% since January 2025, and it was 6.30% a year ago.
Cape & Islands (Wellfleet): The Select Board left the town's ADU bylaw update off the Oct. 26 town meeting warrant. The fix now waits until spring.
North Shore (Nahant): The FY2027 tax-classification hearing opened Sept. 23 and was left open while the town waits for DOR values. Assessors recommended a single rate.
Coming up: The ADU regulation comment deadline is Oct. 9. Early voting on Question 7 (starter-home lot sizes) runs Oct. 17–30.
Statewide
30-year mortgage rate crosses 7%: 6.95% → 7.03%
What changed: Freddie Mac's weekly survey (PMMS) put the 30-year fixed at 7.03% for the week ending Sept. 24, up from 6.95% the week before and 6.30% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed rose from 6.26% to 6.42%. This is a national average for conventional, conforming purchase loans with 20% down and excellent credit. It is not a Massachusetts lender quote. NPR reported this is the first time the rate has passed 7% since January 2025. The Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate a quarter point the week before.
Why it matters to a buyer: Higher rates cut how much house a given monthly payment buys. In Massachusetts, where many buyers need jumbo or near-jumbo loans, your actual quote can differ from the survey. Ask for it in writing.
Related Links: Freddie Mac PMMS release, Sept. 24, 2026 · NPR, Sept. 24, 2026
Cape & Islands
Wellfleet: ADU bylaw update will not go to fall town meeting and is pushed to spring
What changed: The Planning Board had been preparing changes to the town's ADU bylaw to bring it into line with the state's Affordable Homes Act. On Sept. 22 the Select Board did not place that article, or a home-occupation amendment, on the Oct. 26 town meeting warrant. The acting chair cited questions raised by town counsel that same afternoon and said she would rather vote on a finished version in the spring. A separate proposal to cut the minimum size of a cluster development from 15 to 2 acres never reached a Planning Board vote.
Why it matters to a buyer: For now, Wellfleet's written bylaw and state law don't match. Statewide, a "protected-use" ADU of up to 900 sq ft (or half the main house, whichever is smaller) is allowed by right in single-family zones. But how the town handles details like parking, setbacks and septic will stay less clear until spring. For Outer Cape buyers counting on an ADU for family or rental income, that uncertainty affects what the lot is worth to you.
Related Links: Provincetown Independent, Sept. 23, 2026 · Mass.gov ADU page
North Shore / Merrimack Valley
Nahant: FY2027 tax-rate hearing opens, and assessors recommend a single rate
What changed: On Sept. 23 the Select Board and Board of Assessors opened the FY2027 tax-classification hearing. Assessors recommended a residential factor of 1, meaning the same rate for homes and businesses. The hearing was left open because the Department of Revenue had not finalized values, and no rate has been set yet.
Why it matters to a buyer: Your first tax bills after closing will use the new FY2027 rate and the new assessment. The rate the seller paid may not be the rate you pay.
Related Links: Citizen Portal meeting summary (AI-generated from the meeting record), Sept. 23, 2026
Newburyport: ground broken on 92 apartments beside the commuter rail station
What changed: Construction began Sept. 22 on Phase III of Newburyport Crossing: 92 rental apartments, 23 of them income-restricted to households earning up to 80% of area median income. They sit within a five-minute walk of the Newburyport commuter rail station. They add to the 160 units already built at the site.
Why it matters to a buyer: These are rentals, not homes for sale. Over time they add rental supply near the train, which gives renters another option to buying. Don't expect a short-term effect on for-sale prices.
Related Links: EOHLC press release, Sept. 22, 2026