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The Friedman Report

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Maryland Market Intelligence | Week of August 10–16, 2026

Kyle Friedman | The Friedman Team at eXp Realty

A hyperlocal, data driven weekly market report.

The Story of the Week

Renee has been sitting on her hands for two weeks.

She called me right after last week's report went out, the one with the 32% drop in closings, and asked if she should just pull her Owings home off the "maybe" list entirely and wait until spring. She'd read the word "cooling" and heard "don't list now." I told her that report also said the pipeline itself was healthy, pending contracts barely moved, and that a correction isn't the same thing as a downturn. She wasn't convinced. She wanted to see it prove itself for another week before she'd trust it.

This week proved it.

Statewide closings jumped back up to 609 homes, up 14.9% from 530 the week before. Median sold price climbed to $420,000, up 3.7%. And for the first time in six weeks, mortgage rates actually eased, the 30-year fixed dropped to 6.67%, down from 6.69%, according to Freddie Mac, snapping the longest streak of weekly increases this report has tracked all summer.

Here's the part that matters most for Renee specifically: her own county, Calvert, was the fastest-moving market in the entire state this week, 22 days average days on market with 26 closings, real volume behind a genuinely quick pace. That's not a coincidence, and it's not noise. It's exactly the kind of local signal that should move someone off the fence.

I called her back and told her what I'm telling anyone else who paused their plans after last week: the pullback was real, but so is this rebound. Rates aren't dropping fast, and they're not going to save anyone thousands overnight. But a market that's selling more homes, at higher prices, in fewer days, with borrowing costs finally moving in the right direction, isn't a market to wait out. It's one to list into.

Maryland in 60 Seconds

51

FMMI Score

Balanced Market, Stabilizing — Up from 43 last week

609

Homes Sold

Up from 530 last week (+14.9%)

1,240

New Listings

Statewide new active listings this week

357

Pending Contracts

Down from 371, a modest pullback

$420K

Median Sold Price

Up from $405,000 (+3.7%)

6.67%

30 Year Rate

First decline in 6 weeks

32

Avg. Days on Market

Up from 30 days

1,220

Price Reductions

Up from 1,158 (+5.4%)

What the Numbers Really Mean

Three things changed this week:

The rebound held, and then some

Closings jumped 14.9% week over week to 609, continuing to prove that last week's steep pullback was a temporary correction rather than the start of a slide, exactly what this report predicted. Median sold price climbed alongside it, up 3.7% to $420,000.

Rates finally took a breath

The 30-year fixed eased to 6.67%, according to Freddie Mac, down from 6.69% the week before, the first weekly decline after six consecutive increases. Freddie Mac's chief economist described rates as "relatively stable" this week, a notable change in tone after a summer defined by one increase after another.

Market Spotlight: Calvert County & Baltimore County

Calvert County

Calvert County was Maryland's fastest-moving market this week, a genuine debut appearance at the top of the pace rankings: 22 average days on market with 26 closings, real transaction volume behind the number. This is the county Renee is selling in, and it's exactly the kind of local proof point that should carry weight with any seller on the fence.

Active: 46 listings | Closed: 26 homes | Avg. DOM: 22 days

Baltimore County

Baltimore County remains the state's volume leader by a wide margin with 141 closings, and its pace actually improved this week, average days on market dropped to 26, down from 29 the week before. Still the busiest county in Maryland, and it's moving faster again.

Active: 257 listings | Closed: 141 homes | Avg. DOM: 26 days

Market Movers of the Week

Most Expensive New Listing

140 Spa Dr, Annapolis, MD 21403

$4,600,000

5 beds | 3 full, 1 half baths | 3,295 sq ft above grade | Built 1950

A waterfront estate on Spa Creek in Annapolis with a private marina, a non-conforming 14-slip dock use grandfathered in since 1942, and an income-producing lower-level in-law apartment with its own kitchen and water views.

Least Expensive New Listing

856 Lemmon St, Baltimore, MD 21201

$7,500

0 beds | 732 sq ft | Built 1900 | Opening bid

A shell rowhome in Baltimore's Hollins-Roundhouse Historic District, sold subject to an active vacant building notice, just blocks from the University of Maryland Baltimore campus. Online auction bidding runs September 7 through 9.

🏆 Fastest Moving County

Calvert County — 22 day average DOM | 26 closings

🐢 Slowest Moving County

Caroline County — 65 day average DOM | 8 closings

Friedman Heat Map: This Week's County Data

Hottest Markets — Fastest Avg. DOM
Cooling Markets — Slowest Avg. DOM

Calvert County's arrival at the top of the pace rankings is this week's real headline, a fast pace backed by 26 real closings, not a statistical fluke. Garrett's 23-day average looks close behind, but on only 7 closings that's a small enough sample to view with some caution. On the slow end, Caroline County remains the outlier, at 65 days it's nearly triple the pace of this week's fastest counties.

Week Over Week: How Maryland Compares

The headline: closings, new listings, and median sold price all moved up this week, while pending contracts eased slightly and days on market ticked up two days. Combined with mortgage rates posting their first weekly decline in six weeks, this reads as a market finding its footing after two volatile weeks, not a market accelerating in either direction.

The Friedman Market Momentum Index (FMMI)

51

BALANCED MARKET, STABILIZING

Up from 43 last week

What this means: Maryland's housing market found its footing this week. The sharp swings of the last two weeks gave way to broad, modest improvement, more closings, higher prices, and easing rates, even as pending contracts and pace both cooled slightly. This is what a market settling into equilibrium looks like.

58%

Demand Score

Up from 40. Closings rose 14.9% week over week, though pending contracts eased 3.8%, a modest, not alarming, pullback in the forward-looking pipeline.

52%

Seller Strength Score

Up from 45. Median sold price rose 3.7% to $420,000, though price reductions also increased 5.4%, a sign some sellers are still recalibrating.

58%

Market Speed Score

Down from 63. Average days on market rose from 30 to 32, a modest slowdown in pace.

35%

Rate Environment Score

Up from 24. The 30-year fixed eased to 6.67%, its first weekly decline after six consecutive increases.

The Friedman Signal™

STABILIZING

After two weeks of sharp swings, one steep drop and now a strong rebound, this week's numbers moved together in a calmer, more coordinated way. Closings and prices both improved, rates finally eased, and while pending contracts and pace cooled slightly, neither move was dramatic. This is what a market looks like when it's finding its balance rather than searching for a new direction. Watch whether next week's closings hold near 600, that would confirm this week was the new normal rather than another one-week swing.

Winners & Losers

🏆 Winners This Week

  • Calvert County: 22 day average DOM with 26 closings, a genuine debut at the top of the pace rankings
  • Statewide Closings: Up 14.9%, confirming last week's drop was a correction, not a trend
  • Mortgage Rates: First weekly decline in six weeks, down to 6.67%

📉 Losing Momentum

  • Pending Contracts: Down 3.8%, the softest reading of the week's core metrics
  • Baltimore City Pace: Average DOM rose to 42 days, among the slower counties statewide this week
  • Caroline County: 65 day average DOM, nearly triple the pace of this week's fastest counties

One Thing I'd Do This Week

🏠 If I Were Buying

Rates easing for the first time in six weeks isn't a dramatic shift, but combined with 1,220 active listings carrying a price cut, there's real room to negotiate right now, especially in counties like Baltimore City and Cecil where pace has slowed.

🪧 If I Were Selling

This week's numbers are the proof last week's pullback needed: more closings, a higher median price, and rates finally moving the right direction. If you've been waiting for a sign to list, a fast-moving county with real transaction volume behind it, like Calvert this week, is exactly that sign.

📈 If I Were Investing

Watch Baltimore County's renewed pace closely, 141 closings with days on market dropping back to 26 is the state's busiest market moving faster again, not slower. That combination of high volume and improving speed is rare and worth paying attention to.

Deep Dive: The Fun Fact This Week

$291,497,384

Total Sales Volume

344

Listings Withdrawn/Canceled

Add up every home that closed in Maryland this week; and you get $291,497,384 in total sales volume, across 609 transactions. That's enough dollar volume to buy this week's priciest listing, the $4.6 million Annapolis waterfront estate, more than 63 times over. Meanwhile, 344 listings statewide were withdrawn, expired, or canceled this week without ever selling, meaning for every 10 homes that successfully closed, roughly 5 to 6 others quietly fell out of the pipeline entirely. The market's most visible number is always the one home that sells. The ones that don't rarely make the headlines, but this week, they very nearly kept pace.

One Thing I'd Do This Week: Bonus Fall Baking Edition

Market reports aren't the only thing getting a seasonal refresh around here. With fall right around the corner, here's what's going in the oven this weekend.

Bonus From My Kitchen: Caramel Apple Cheesecake Bars

These bars are basically a cheesecake, an apple pie, and a caramel apple decided to share one pan, four layers, all finished with a caramel drizzle. Perfect for the first cool weekend of fall.

Makes 16 bars

Ingredients

Graham Cracker Crust:

  • 15 graham crackers, crushed fine
  • 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
  • 8 tablespoons salted butter, melted

Apple Layer:

  • 3 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and chopped
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup granulated sugar
  • 3 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon apple pie spice (or pumpkin pie spice)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Cheesecake Layer:

  • 24 ounces cream cheese, softened
  • 1 1/4 cups powdered sugar
  • 1/3 cup sour cream, room temperature
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 3 large eggs, room temperature

Crumb Topping:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons apple pie spice
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Optional Topping:

  • 1/2 cup caramel sauce, for drizzling

How to Make It

01

Prep

Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a 9x13 baking dish with parchment paper.

02

Build the crust

Mix crushed graham crackers with sugar, then stir in melted butter until combined. Press into the pan, cover, and freeze while prepping the other layers.

03

Prep the apples

Toss chopped apples with lemon juice, then stir in both sugars, spice, and salt. Set aside.

04

Make the cheesecake layer

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth. Mix in sour cream and vanilla, then add eggs on low speed just until incorporated — don't overmix.

05

Make the crumb topping

Whisk together the dry ingredients, then stir in melted butter with a fork until crumbly.

06

Assemble

Pour the cheesecake layer over the frozen crust. Spoon the apple mixture on top with a slotted spoon (leave excess liquid behind). Sprinkle the crumb topping evenly over the apples.

07

Bake

35 to 45 minutes, until the edges are set and the center has a slight jiggle. Cool completely, then chill at least 6 hours or overnight before slicing.

08

Serve

Cut into squares and finish with a generous caramel drizzle.

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Let's Talk

Ready to get started? Kyle Friedman with The Friedman Team at Exp Realty is ready to go to work for you.

Kyle Friedman

Licensed Realtor® | Expert Negotiator
Owner, Founder / The Friedman Team at EXP Realty

📞 443-789-3101  |  O: 888-860-7369
✉️ [email protected]

8115 Maple Lawn Blvd. #350, Fulton, MD 20759

Why Choose Kyle?

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Equal Housing Opportunity. Kyle Friedman is a licensed real estate