The housing market in the Chesapeake Bay & Rivers Association region, of which Gloucester and Mathews counties are a part, experienced a slowdown in activity at the beginning of the year, according to a recently released report by the realtors’ organization. In the first quarter of 2026, closed sales activity was down or flat in most local markets. CBRAR is the local association for Gloucester, Mathews, Middlesex, the portion of King & Queen County known as the Buena Vista District and the portion of King William County known as West Point. Overall, 227 homes were sold in that region in the first quarter, which is 27 fewer than a year ago (-11 percent). Middlesex (-19 percent) and King William (-18 percent) counties saw the largest percentage decline in sales across the region. On the other hand, King and Queen (+29 percent) and Middlesex (+28 percent) counties saw a rise in pending sales, which will likely lead to an increase in sales across those local markets over the next c...