September was a quieter month in Summit County real estate, but don't let that fool you: for the year as a whole, the market is right where it was in 2025. The themes we've been tracking all year are still in place. Single-family home prices are a bit softer, condos and townhomes keep climbing, and cash buyers remain a big part of the picture.
Here's what the September numbers tell us, in plain language.
September at a glance
Summit County saw 162 sales in September, totaling about $236 million. That's down from a very strong September 2025, when 205 sales added up to $318 million. In other words, about 21% fewer sales and 26% fewer dollars than the same month a year ago.
That sounds like a big drop, but context matters. Last September was one of the busiest Septembers on record, so it's a tough comparison. And this summer was strong: June, July and August 2026 all beat the same months in 2025, with June up 45% and August up 20%.
Put it all together and the year is essentially a tie:
- Total sales dollars, January through September: $1.72 billion in 2026 vs. $1.73 billion in 2025 (flat)
- Number of sales, January through September: 1,243 in 2026 vs. 1,268 in 2025 (down 2%)
One way to read it: a busy summer pulled some activity forward, so September looked lighter. Month to month the numbers bounce around, but the overall level of activity hasn't really changed.
Why averages can be misleading (a real example from September)
A quick refresher: the average price adds up every sale and divides by the number of sales. The median is the middle sale when you line them all up from lowest to highest. The median is usually a better picture of what a "typical" home sold for.
September gave us a perfect example of why this matters. A 254-acre ranch property in rural North Summit County, with a 16-bedroom main home, sold for $23 million. That one sale was about 11% of all residential dollars in the county for the month.
Because of sales like that, September's average residential price was $1,629,537, while the median was $1,182,250. The median tells you more about what most buyers actually paid. We'll give you both throughout this update.
Single-family homes: still a little softer, but the gap is narrowing
Single-family home prices are still running below last year, but the decline got a bit smaller in September:
- Average sale price (year-to-date): $2,285,598, down 4% from $2,388,559 for all of 2025 (last month it was down 6%)
- Median sale price (year-to-date): $1,775,000, down 7% from $1,900,000 in 2025 (last month it was down 8%)
September itself helped. The 48 single-family homes that sold last month averaged about $2.57 million, higher than the year-to-date average.
What does that mean in everyday terms? Single-family homes haven't gotten cheap. A typical home still sells for around $1.78 million. But prices have eased from last year's peak, which gives buyers a little more room to negotiate. It's one month, so we'll watch whether the narrowing continues into the fall.
Condos and townhomes: still the strongest part of the market
Condos and townhomes (what the county calls "multi-family" properties) continue to outperform:
- Average sale price (year-to-date): $1,144,070, up 16% from $986,635 in 2025
- Median sale price (year-to-date): $939,500, up 12% from $838,750 in 2025
Those numbers are almost identical to last month, which tells us the trend is holding steady rather than speeding up. Condos and townhomes were also the busiest category in September, with 82 sales compared with 48 single-family homes.
New construction is still a big part of this story. So far this year, 182 brand-new homes and condos have closed, worth about $351 million. That's 15% of all sales but 20% of all dollars, because new units tend to sell for more. In September, 12 new units closed, including nine condos at Apres Shores in Silverthorne priced between $700,000 and $1,085,000, and two at Kindred Residences in Keystone.
Vacant land is the one category that slipped this month. The average land price is now down 7% from 2025, though the median is unchanged at $550,000. Only 44 land parcels have sold this year, so a few sales can swing these numbers quite a bit.
The bottom line on pricing: this still isn't a market in decline. It's a market where buyers are shifting where they spend. Single-family prices have cooled slightly after years of big gains, while condos and townhomes are picking up that demand.
Cash buyers: even more of them
In September, 43% of all closings in Summit County were cash deals, meaning no mortgage at all. That's up from 38% in August. Put simply, more than 4 out of every 10 buyers didn't need a loan to buy.
Why does that matter? Cash buyers can usually close faster and with fewer conditions, like waiting on loan approval or an appraisal. Sellers notice that, and buyers using financing need to make sure their offers are just as clean and ready to go.
Where buyers are coming from
The county's buyer pool is still split almost evenly three ways. Year-to-date:
- Local (Summit County) buyers: 29%
- Front Range buyers (Denver metro and nearby): 35%
- Out-of-state buyers: 36%
- International buyers: less than 1% (just 4 sales all year)
This mix has barely changed in years. Among out-of-state buyers this year, Texas leads by a wide margin, followed by Florida.
What sold at the top
- Highest price: the $23 million North Summit County ranch mentioned above.
- Top-priced home in a neighborhood setting: a four-bedroom home in the Corkscrew Flats area of Breckenridge, built in 2021, sold for $4,795,000.
- Highest price per square foot: a brand-new four-bedroom condo at Kindred Residences in Keystone sold for $4,675,000, about $2,285 per square foot.
One trend worth noting at the very top: fewer homes are selling above $5 million this year. Through September, 15 residential sales topped $5 million, compared with 27 over the same period in 2025. Meanwhile, the $1 million to $2 million range remains the heart of the market, with 370 sales so far this year, up from 338 last year.
What this means for you
If you're buying: Fall is often a good time to shop in Summit County, and this year is no exception. Single-family buyers have a bit more room to negotiate than they did a year ago. If you're looking at condos or townhomes, expect more competition and plenty of cash offers, so get pre-approved (or have proof of funds ready) and be prepared to act quickly when the right place comes along.
If you're selling: Pricing correctly is still the most important thing you can do, especially for single-family homes. Last year's prices may not hold up today, and an overpriced home is likely to sit. If you own a condo or townhome, you're in a strong position: values in that segment are up double digits, and many buyers can close with cash.
Have questions about what these numbers mean for your home or your search? Nelson Mountain Real Estate brings nearly 50 years of combined experience in Summit County real estate. Contact us — we'd love to talk through your specific situation.
Data source: Land Title Guarantee Company, Summit County Market Analysis, September 2026 (compiled from Summit County Clerk & Recording and Assessor's Office records). Figures are deemed reliable but not guaranteed.