Published October 14, 2026 in Market Update

Inventory is tighter in Broken Bow and Hochatown, but homes still take time

By Savanna Schrader - Broken Bow Realtor

Real estate, Broken Bow/Hochatown

Here is the one thing worth knowing first. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 367 homes for sale in ZIP 74728 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 12.8% from the same months in 2025. Fewer choices for buyers gives sellers a little more support. But the median home still sat on the market 104 days. Buyers are patient, and they are comparing every option.

That 104-day median is actually 19 days shorter than the same period in 2025, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Progress, yes. Still, plan for a longer road than you might expect.

Prices moved up, and so did the number of sales

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in ZIP 74728 at $660,000 for the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 19.3% from the same months in 2025. At the same time, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose just 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Broken Bow and Hochatown ran well ahead of that national pace.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 121 homes sold in ZIP 74728 in those three months. That is up 80.6% from the same period in 2025. More homes changed hands, and pending sales rose 31.5% too. Buyers are active. They are just deliberate about it.

Most homes sold close to asking, but not over it

The Real Estate Data Aggregator showed the average sale price came in at 96.9% of list price in ZIP 74728. That is down 1 point from 2025. Only 14.1% of homes sold above list price, down 2.3 points from a year before. Not every home got a bidding war. Most sellers took a small trim.

One bright spot: 14.9% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing. That is up 7.3 points from the same period in 2025, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Price it right and it can move fast. Price it high and it joins the long end of that 104-day median.

Rates are making buyers careful everywhere

Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed mortgage rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. The 15-year fixed came in at 6.73%. Realtor.com reported rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That is a real cost for buyers financing a $660,000 home. It explains some of the patience you see in that 104-day figure.

Realtor.com also reported that 20.8% of listings nationally had price cuts in September, the highest share since October 2022. In ZIP 74728, inventory fell 12.8%, so local sellers have a little more cushion than the national picture. Still, the national trend is worth knowing.

One more thing worth saying plainly. These numbers cover all of ZIP 74728. One street in Hochatown can read very differently from a cabin road closer to Broken Bow. The zip code average does not tell your whole story.