The Hawai’i housing market in October 2026 is splitting along property type, not just island lines. According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the O’ahu single-family median fell 3.9% year over year in September to $1,110,000, while the O’ahu condo median rose 2.8% to $523,000. On Maui, the REALTORS Association of Maui reported a single-family median of $1.15 million, down 11%, even as condo sales jumped 56.5%. At the same time, Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed rate climbed to 7.40% on October 8, more than a full point above a year ago.
The short answer for sellers: O’ahu houses still sell fast, but higher rates are squeezing what buyers can pay, and Maui and Kaua’i remain slow, uneven markets.
Key Takeaways
- O’ahu houses are selling faster but for less. September single-family median: $1,110,000 (-3.9% YoY). Median days on market dropped to 16, from 26 a year ago (Honolulu Board of Realtors).
- O’ahu condos are the opposite story. The median rose 2.8% to $523,000, but sales fell 8.1% and active condo inventory grew 7.8% to 2,509 units.
- Maui single-family prices reset again. The September median fell 11% to $1.15 million on 52 sales. Condo sales surged to 72, but condos took a median 199 days to sell (REALTORS Association of Maui).
- Mortgage rates broke above 7%. Freddie Mac’s 30-year fixed averaged 7.40% on October 8, 2026, up from 7.28% a week earlier and 6.30% a year ago.
- Lahaina rebuilding keeps moving. Maui County’s recovery dashboard shows 614 homes completed and 415 under construction as of October 2, 2026.
Hawai’i Housing Market by Island: Latest Official Numbers
As of October 12, 2026, September board figures are out for O’ahu and Maui. For Hawai’i Island and Kaua’i, the latest official figures are for August 2026, compiled by Title Guaranty from each island’s board. Each row shows its month.
| Island (month) | Single-family median | SFH YoY | SFH sales | Condo median | Condo YoY | Condo sales |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| O’ahu (Sep 2026) | $1,110,000 | -3.9% | 293 (+6.2%) | $523,000 | +2.8% | 375 (-8.1%) |
| Maui (Sep 2026) | $1,150,000 | -11.0% | 52 (-7.1%) | $660,000 | +1.1% | 72 (+56.5%) |
| Hawai’i Island (Aug 2026) | $577,500 | +10.3% | 154 (-7.2%) | $446,450 | -22.0% | 32 (-13.5%) |
| Kaua’i (Aug 2026) | $1,088,000 | -8.2% | 28 (flat) | $999,999 | +27.9% | 15 (-37.5%) |
Sources: Honolulu Board of Realtors via List Sotheby’s International Realty (Oct 10, 2026); REALTORS Association of Maui via Maui Now (Oct 9, 2026); Title Guaranty Statewide Housing Statistics, August 2026 (from each island’s board of REALTORS). Months of supply was not published in any of these releases.
One caution: small islands mean small samples. Kaua’i closed just 15 condos in August, so one luxury sale can swing the median by six figures.
O’ahu: Fast-Moving Houses, Softer Prices
According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, 293 single-family homes closed on O’ahu in September 2026, up 6.2% from a year earlier. The median price slipped to $1,110,000 from $1,155,000. Yet houses sold in a median of just 16 days, down from 26 days in September 2025. Pending single-family sales were nearly flat at 236 (-1.3%), and active single-family inventory held steady at 798 listings.
Buyers are still active, but paying less per home. Over the first nine months of 2026, the O’ahu single-family median is still up 3.1% to $1,180,000, according to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s report on the Board’s data. So September looks like a cooling month, not a collapse. Monthly data is noisy: Title Guaranty’s August report had the O’ahu single-family median at $1,240,000, up 12.2%.
Condos are a different market. The O’ahu condo median rose to $523,000, but sales fell 8.1% to 375, and pending condo sales dropped 28.6% to 292. Active condo inventory rose 7.8% to 2,509 units. Condos took a median 41 days to sell, compared with 40 a year ago.
Our analysis: O’ahu inventory-to-sales ratio
The Board did not publish months of supply for September, so we calculated a simple version ourselves: active listings divided by that month’s closed sales. Using the Honolulu Board of Realtors figures above:
- Single-family: 798 active ÷ 293 sold = about 2.7 months of inventory at September’s sales pace.
- Condos: 2,509 active ÷ 375 sold = about 6.7 months of inventory.
A widely used real estate rule of thumb treats about six months of supply as a balanced market. By that yardstick, O’ahu houses remain a seller-leaning market, while O’ahu condos have tipped toward buyers. If you own an older condo with rising fees or a pending special assessment, you are competing with far more listings than a house seller is.
Maui: Condo Sales Surge as House Prices Slide
According to the REALTORS Association of Maui, 72 condos sold in Maui County in September 2026, up from 46 a year earlier. The condo median edged up 1.1% to $660,000, and condo dollar volume rose 65.9% to $70.9 million. But patience was required: the median condo took 199 days to sell, up 56.7%.
Single-family homes went the other way. Sales fell 7.1% to 52, and the median dropped 11% to $1.15 million from $1,292,500. Houses took a median 134 days to sell. “Condominium sales increased significantly compared to last year, while single-family activity slowed,” RAM President Georgie Tamayose told Maui Now.
Two policy stories hang over Maui. First, Bill 9, signed December 15, 2025 as Ordinance 5909, phases out short-term rental use in apartment-zoned Minatoya List units by January 1, 2029 in West Maui and January 1, 2031 elsewhere in the county. Second, the Lahaina rebuild is gaining speed. Maui County’s recovery dashboard shows 614 homes completed (301 single-family, 313 multifamily), 415 under construction, and 676 with issued permits as of October 2, 2026.
For a closer look at selling on the Valley Isle, see our guide to the easiest way to sell a house on Maui. If your property was affected by the August 2023 fires, our page on selling a fire-damaged house in Hawai’i walks through insurance gaps and options with care.
Hawai’i Island (Big Island): Higher House Median, Fewer Sales
September data for Hawai’i Island had not been published when we went to press. In August 2026, according to Title Guaranty’s compilation of Hawai’i Island board data, 154 single-family homes sold, down 7.2%, at a median of $577,500, up 10.3%. Condo sales fell to 32 at a median of $446,450, down 22.0%. Year to date through August, the single-family median was $563,000 (+0.5%) and the condo median was $625,000 (-0.8%).
The Big Island remains the state’s most affordable house market, at about half the O’ahu median, and the most varied. If you own in Puna or Ka’ū, our guide to selling property in a lava zone explains how insurance and financing affect buyers.
Kaua’i: Small Numbers, Big Swings
Kaua’i’s September figures were also not yet available. In August 2026, per Title Guaranty, 28 single-family homes sold (flat year over year) at a median of $1,088,000, down 8.2%. Only 15 condos sold, down 37.5%, at a median of $999,999. Year to date through August, the Kaua’i single-family median is $1,300,000, up 10.6%, on 239 sales, down 8.4%.
For Kaua’i owners of modest, older homes that need work, expect a longer wait than the headline median suggests.
Mortgage Rates Climb Past 7%
According to Freddie Mac’s Primary Mortgage Market Survey, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.40% on October 8, 2026, up from 7.28% the week before and 6.30% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed averaged 6.73%. When we published our June 2026 Hawai’i market update, the 30-year rate was 6.53%.
Here is what that means in real dollars. Using the September O’ahu single-family median of $1,110,000 and 20% down, we calculated principal and interest on the $888,000 loan:
| 30-year rate | Monthly principal & interest |
|---|---|
| 6.30% (Oct 2025) | $5,496 |
| 6.53% (late May 2026) | $5,630 |
| 7.40% (Oct 8, 2026) | $6,148 |
Hawaii Property Buyers calculation. Excludes taxes, insurance, HOA fees and mortgage insurance.
That’s about $652 more per month than a year ago for the same median-priced O’ahu house. For the median O’ahu condo at $523,000, the same math adds about $307 a month.
Policy Watch: Honolulu’s Empty Homes Tax Stalls
On July 21, 2026, the Honolulu Charter Commission voted 8-5 in favor of putting an empty homes tax on the November ballot, one vote short of the nine votes needed, according to Civil Beat. The City Council’s Bill 46 was not brought to a final vote, and Civil Beat reported in August that the Council declined to vote on it. For now, owners of vacant O’ahu homes face no new vacancy tax. Our Hawai’i property tax guide for sellers explains what you’ll owe at closing.
What the October 2026 Market Means for Sellers
This market rewards move-in-ready homes priced right. It is harder on homes that need work and owners short on time.
If your house needs repairs
At 7.40% rates, financed buyers have less cash for repairs, and lenders may balk at homes with major defects like termite damage or unpermitted work. We buy as-is, so you skip the repair bills and the showings. Learn more on our sell your house as-is in Hawai’i page.
If you inherited a property
Heirs often pay taxes, insurance and upkeep on a house they don’t use. With condos on O’ahu sitting at about 6.7 months of inventory by our math, an inherited condo may take a while to sell on the open market. Start with our guide, I inherited a house in Hawai’i — now what?, then see our inherited house selling options.
If you’re behind on mortgage payments
Rising rates mean refinancing is less likely to help. The good news: O’ahu houses are still selling in a median 16 days, so many owners have equity they can protect by selling before a foreclosure moves forward. Our page on selling a house when you’re behind on payments lays out a month-by-month timeline, and how to avoid foreclosure in Hawai’i covers every option, including ones that don’t involve us.
Compare paths in our breakdown of a cash buyer vs. a realtor in Hawai’i. For the longer view, see our Hawai’i housing market forecast for 2026.
Whatever you decide, we’re happy to give you a no-obligation number to compare. Call (808) 940-3430, and we’ll handle all the details on your timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are home prices going down in Hawai’i in 2026?
It depends on the island and property type. In September 2026, the O’ahu single-family median fell 3.9% and the Maui single-family median fell 11% year over year, while condo medians on both islands rose slightly. Year to date, the O’ahu single-family median is still up 3.1%.
What is the median home price on O’ahu right now?
According to the Honolulu Board of Realtors, the O’ahu single-family median was $1,110,000 in September 2026, and the condo median was $523,000. Single-family homes sold in a median of 16 days.
What are mortgage rates in October 2026?
Freddie Mac reported a 30-year fixed average of 7.40% on October 8, 2026, up from 6.30% a year earlier. The 15-year fixed averaged 6.73%.
Is it a good time to sell a house in Hawai’i?
For move-in-ready O’ahu houses, demand is still strong, with homes selling in about two weeks. For condos, homes that need repairs, and most Maui and Kaua’i properties, buyers have more choices and more time. A cash sale can make sense if you need certainty or want to skip repairs.
How does Maui’s Bill 9 affect condo owners?
Bill 9 (Ordinance 5909) ends short-term rental use in apartment-zoned Minatoya List units by January 1, 2029 in West Maui and January 1, 2031 elsewhere in Maui County. Affected owners will need to switch to long-term rentals, live in the unit, or sell.
Sources
- Honolulu Board of Realtors September 2026 data, via List Sotheby’s International Realty, “Oahu Real Estate Market Report, September 2026” (Oct 10, 2026): listsothebysrealty.com
- Honolulu Star-Advertiser, “Oahu single-family home price weakened in September” (Oct 7, 2026): staradvertiser.com
- REALTORS Association of Maui September 2026 data, via Maui Now, “Maui County condo sales jump in September as single-family sales decline” (Oct 9, 2026): mauinow.com
- Title Guaranty, Statewide Housing Statistics, August 2026 (source: respective islands’ boards of REALTORS): tghawaii.com (PDF)
- Freddie Mac, Primary Mortgage Market Survey (Oct 8, 2026): freddiemac.com/pmms
- County of Maui, Wildfire Recovery Dashboard (updated Oct 2, 2026): mauirecovers.org
- Rental Scale-Up, “Maui Bill 9 Becomes Law: What Ordinance 5909 Actually Does”: rentalscaleup.com
- Civil Beat, “Empty homes tax: O’ahu voters blocked from weighing in” (Jul 21, 2026): civilbeat.org
- Civil Beat, “Empty homes tax: some like the idea, O’ahu politicians won’t hear of it” (Aug 2026): civilbeat.org
About the author: Robert Koncal is the owner and operator of Hawaii Property Buyers LLC, a locally owned cash home buying company based in Honolulu since 2021. Market data in this post is reported by the sources listed above; calculations labeled as ours are for illustration only and are not financial advice.
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