The first county just tipped.

Massachusetts' biggest county just did something it has not done in more than three years.

Prices went down.

Middlesex County's median sale price slipped 1% in June, to $861,569. First year-over-year decline since early 2023. That's from Redfin's county data, published Monday.

One county. One percent. Not a crash.

But look underneath:

• Homes for sale are up 15.5% from last year
• More than half still sold over asking, but that share dropped almost five points

More choices, fewer bidding wars. That's how a seller's market cools.

Here's why it matters to you.

If you own in Middlesex, your equity just stopped growing for the first time in three years. If you own anywhere else in Massachusetts, consider this your early look. The window to sell near the top is still open. It just isn't going to stay this wide.

The sellers who come out ahead in a turn are the ones who knew their number before they needed it.