Hunter on Portsmouth, NH

Rates ticked up again this week to 7.03%, and Portsmouth is in the middle of two big decisions at once: how to zone what's left of its commercial land, and what to do with a mall that's about to disappear entirely. I put both below so you can see where things stand.

LOCAL PULSE · NH · ME · MA

Where my markets stand

A quick read on the numbers across the areas I cover.

30-year fixed mortgage rate

7.18% ↓ from 7.24% · Nov 5

Rockingham County, NH

$620K

↑ 1.3% from last year

York County, ME

$529K

↑ 6.5% from last year

Essex County, MA

$723K

↑ 2.1% vs last year

Home value, Sep 2026 / Aug 2026 · Freddie Mac PMMS + Prime MLS via Shoreline Agents Q3 2026 Market Update

LOCAL · DOVER

Dover opens Nebi Park and the Truette as its Cochecho River waterfront finally takes shape

After nearly four decades of planning, Dover's Cochecho River waterfront has opened to the public. Nebi Park, the city's new waterfront park, opened in mid-July after a grand opening ceremony. On the same day, the Truette, the first private development in the district, held its own ribbon cutting.

The park anchors the city's Waterfront District along the Cochecho River, with gathering spaces, access to the river, recreation amenities and a public pavilion. Its name comes from the Abenaki word for "bend in the river." The city describes the park as the centerpiece of its larger waterfront redevelopment, meant to link downtown residents and visitors more directly to the river.

Mayor Dennis Shanahan cut the ribbon at both the park and the Truette. He called the district "a success story nearly forty years in the making" and noted that residents have pushed to revitalize the waterfront since the early 1980s. He credited the Cochecho Waterfront Development Advisory Committee and the developer, Cathartes, with making it happen.

Nebi Park is one part of the 29-acre Cochecho Waterfront Development, a public-private project to turn former industrial and municipal land into a new mixed-use area beside downtown.

For people who live in Dover, the result is river access, recreation space and a public pavilion within walking distance of downtown, with new homes rising on land that once held industrial and municipal uses.

Source: City of Dover, NH (link)

LOCAL · NEWBURYPORT

Newburyport weighs moving $50,000 in parking revenue into a new Downtown Beautification Fund

Newburyport's paid parking meters may soon help pay for a better looking downtown. A transfer request from the mayor on the City Council's October 5, 2026 agenda would move $50,000 in paid parking money to set up a new Downtown Beautification Fund.

The request was listed for review by the council's budget and finance committee, so the idea still has steps to clear before any money moves. If it passes, the city would have a dedicated pot of money for the look and feel of its downtown, funded by the people who park there.

The same agenda shows how much attention downtown streets are getting this fall. Councilors also had a summary of a walk audit of Merrimac Street, a proposed framework for parklets, and a memo on a street and sidewalk maintenance plan in front of them.

Closer to home for many residents, the council is weighing changes to the city's rules on clearing snow and ice from sidewalks, along with a separate item on who enforces them. New stop signs were also proposed for River Street and Forrester Street.

For people who live in Newburyport or are thinking about moving there, these are the small decisions that shape daily life: how easy it is to walk downtown, what the sidewalks look like in February, and where parking money ends up. Residents can follow each item as it moves through committee and back to the full council.

Source: City of Newburyport (link)

NATIONAL MARKET

Mortgage Rates Cross 7% for the First Time in 20 Months

Nationally, the average 30-year fixed mortgage rate climbed to 7.03% for the week of September 24, 2026, up from 6.95% the week before, according to Freddie Mac's Primary Mortgage Market Survey. That is the first time the national benchmark has topped 7% since January 2025, and it is well above the 6.30% average recorded a year earlier at this time. The 15-year fixed-rate mortgage, a popular option for refinancing across the U.S., also moved higher, averaging 6.42% compared with 6.26% the prior week and 5.49% a year ago.

Freddie Mac's chief economist, Sam Khater, said the housing market remains supported by a solid labor market and an economy that is growing at a healthy rate. For buyers and homeowners watching the national picture, this marks a real shift after months of rates hovering below 7%. Even a small move in the weekly average can add real dollars to a monthly payment nationwide, so this uptick is worth keeping an eye on as it works through local markets in the weeks ahead.

Source: Freddie Mac (link)

Hunter Letendre

Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Verani Realty

603-268-9559·hunterletendre@gmail.com·realestatewithhunter.com

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