PORTSMOUTH—October sales of single-family homes and condominiums in the 13 Sample Seacoast Towns sank to their lowest levels in at least 10 years according to statistics just released by the Seacoast Board of REALTORs.

The 13 Sample Seacoast Towns are Exeter, Greenland, Hampton, Hampton Falls, New Castle, Newfields, Newington, North Hampton, Newmarket, Portsmouth, Rye, Seabrook, and Stratham.

Mirroring recent activity in the Greater Boston Area and with local 30-year mortgage interest rates at their highest levels in more than 20 years, there were just 63 single-family transactions last month. This is the fewest for October since 2011, despite inventory levels at their highest since July 2022.

The biggest sale for the month came at 35 Dumas Avenue in Hampton at $4.5 million dollars, a 4,205sf oceanfront home. It is the eighth property this year to sell for more than $4 million dollars in the 13-Sample Seacoast Towns.

The median price of a single-family home slipped to $670,000, the lowest since March. For the year sales are down 24% while the median price is up 7.7% to $727,000.

Condominium sales experienced the slowest October since 2013 and the fewest (45) sales this year since March. The median monthly sale price of $520,000 is off 6.1% from last year. For the first 10 months of 2023, condominium sales are off 13.7%, while the median sale price of $553,000 is up 8.6% from last year.

The biggest condominium sale came at 131 Sage Lane in Portsmouth for $1,542,018. This is a 3-bedroom, 2,650 s.f. unit.

“The pattern of fewer sales at higher prices seems to persist,” said Seacoast Board of Realtors President Jessica Ritchie. “Mortgage rates have made things more difficult for both sides of the transaction, but buyers are very much engaged and activity remains strong.”