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housing market spent the first half of 2026 in a seller-conceding mode: the typical home sold for about 2.3% below its list price, according to Realtor.com's 2026 Hottest ZIP Codes report.
That national picture does not describe ZIP code 01960.
In Peabody, Massachusetts, a town 20 miles from downtown Boston, homes left the market in 20 days on average, and buyers found they needed at least $50,000 over asking price to compete.
The case for Peabody: relative value near a major job center Realtor.com ranked Peabody first in this year's report, the first time the city has held that position, though it placed in the top 10 in both 2018 and 2021.
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