Estimated cost of a dead deal
—
on a typical $460,000 home with a mortgage · — if it's paid off
- Contracts that fell apart
- 19%about 1 in 5 · 17 of 89
- Extra days on the market
- —— vs. 32 on the first contract
- Lower sale price
- —— vs. 95.6% of first asking
- Never sold at all
- 43%of the homes whose deal died
19% of contracts for homes 20–29 years old in Beaufort County fell apart
17 of about 89 contracts for homes 20–29 years old in Beaufort County fell apart over the last 12 months — about 1 in 5. And 43% of the homes whose deal died never sold at all.
- 18% came back on the market at a lower price (a median 7.0% below the first price).
- Most resale deals die over the home inspection, the appraisal or the buyer's loan. A pre-market inspection finds the big items before a buyer does.
- Even when a deal survives, repairs found during due diligence cost more: they're done on the buyer's deadline, often by the buyer's choice of contractors, or traded for a credit the buyer never spends on repairs. None of that shows up in the MLS, so it isn't in the dollar figure above.
The hidden cost: repairs on the buyer's clock
Even when a deal holds together, the buyer's inspection usually costs the seller money. The MLS doesn't record it, so it isn't in our local numbers — but national surveys show how common and how big it is:
- 86% of inspections find something to fix, and 46% of buyers used the report to negotiate the price down (Porch survey of 998 buyers).
- When sellers give one, the median is $7,200 (Clever Real Estate seller survey).
- Sellers gave concessions in about 46% of U.S. home sales this spring — repairs, closing costs and rate buydowns, a record for the season (Redfin).
Averaged across all sellers, that's about $3,300 — roughly half give a concession, and the median is $7,200 when they do. Some sellers pay nothing; a home that needs real work can pay far more. We add the $3,300 average to the dead-deal cost as a separate line rather than assume the worst.
And the money goes further against you once you're under contract:
- You're on their deadline. Repairs have to be done before closing, so there's no time to shop around or wait for a better price.
- You use their people. Buyers often want their own plumbers, electricians and contractors — at their price, for work you might have done yourself or had your own handyman do for less.
- Credits instead of repairs. Many buyers ask for money off the price or toward closing costs and never make the repairs. The inspection becomes leverage against you.
Inspect before you list, and you handle the big items your way — on your schedule, with your own people, at your price — or disclose them up front so there's nothing left to negotiate.
The $3,300 is an estimate that combines two national sources (Redfin's share of sales with a concession and Clever Real Estate's median concession); it isn't measured locally. No study we found measures how much more the same repair costs under contract than before listing, so we don't put a number on that part.
Take the surprise off the table
Most resale deals die over the inspection, the appraisal or the loan. A pre-market inspection finds the big items before a buyer does — so there's nothing left to renegotiate or walk away over. It's part of our home selling system.
What happened next
- Sold later 24% — after — days in all, for — of the first price
- Still trying 59% — back on the market or under contract again
- Never sold 18% — expired, canceled or withdrawn
Homes that sold on their first contract took 32 days and sold for 95.6% of their first price. 18% of the homes that came back on the market cut their price.
Crawl space vs. no crawl space
Moisture, wood rot and insect damage under the house are common inspection findings on the coast.
| Contracts | Fell apart | Extra days | Price scar | Est. cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Crawl space | 343 | 25% | 87 | 5.1% | $20,000 |
| No crawl space | 88 | 17% | 115 | 6.6% | $33,800 |
By first asking price
| Contracts | Fell apart | Extra days | Price scar | Est. cost | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 250 | 24% | 109 | 4.9% | $15,800 |
| $300–400K | 111 | 21% | 58 | 1.2% | $8,700 |
| $400–500K | 72 | 22% | 94 | 11.1% | $56,600 |
| $500–750K | 79 | 25% | 93 | 4.8% | $39,100 |
| $750K–1M | 23 | 4% | — | — | — |
| $1M+ | 20 | 30% | — | — | — |
Homes behind the numbers
Back on the market
Their contract fell apart; they're for sale again.
- 460 Keysville Road, WashingtonBack on the market · $469,000 · fell apart Oct 24, 2026
- 119 Cape Fear Drive, ChocowinityBack on the market · $1,050,000 · fell apart Oct 23, 2026
- 450 Cox Road, WashingtonBack on the market · $1,397,000 · fell apart Oct 14, 2026
- 75 Seaview Court, BathBack on the market · $529,000 · fell apart Oct 14, 2026
- 506 Pamlico River Drive, WashingtonBack on the market · $425,000 · fell apart Sep 23, 2026
Under contract again
Second try under way.
- 403 Cedar Lane, WashingtonUnder contract again · $259,000 · fell apart Oct 29, 2026
- 311 Fleming Street, WashingtonUnder contract again · $174,900 · fell apart Oct 12, 2026
- 421 Cypress Landing Trail, ChocowinityUnder contract again · $599,999 · fell apart Aug 15, 2026
Sold after a deal fell apart
It closed — on a later contract.
- 264 Mill Creek Lane, BathSold · $380,000 · fell apart May 3, 2026
- 100 Goose Creek Drive, WashingtonSold · $420,000 · fell apart Apr 14, 2026
- 649 Credle Drive, BathSold · $399,500 · fell apart Apr 8, 2026
- 173 Weston Drive, Blounts CreekSold · $82,000 · fell apart Nov 3, 2025
Most recent first. Homes that were withdrawn, expired or canceled are counted in the numbers but not listed here.
Questions sellers ask
How often do home sale contracts fall apart in Beaufort County?
17 of about 89 contracts for homes 20–29 years old in Beaufort County fell apart over the last 12 months — about 1 in 5.
Why do home sale contracts fall apart?
The MLS doesn't record the reason. In our experience the most common are home inspection findings (roof, HVAC, moisture and crawl space, wood-destroying insects, electrical and plumbing), appraisals below the price, and buyer financing. In North Carolina a buyer can walk away for any reason during the due diligence period.
Why do repairs during a contract cost sellers more?
Once you're under contract, repairs run on the buyer's clock. You often end up paying the plumbers, electricians and contractors the buyer prefers, at their price and their schedule, for work you might have done yourself or had your own handyman do for less. Many buyers ask for a credit off the price or toward closing costs instead, then never make the repairs — so the inspection gets used as leverage against the seller. Nationally, 86% of inspections find something to fix and 46% of buyers use the report to negotiate the price down (Porch survey of 998 buyers), sellers gave concessions in about 46% of U.S. home sales in spring 2026 (Redfin), and the median is $7,200 when they do (Clever Real Estate seller survey). Averaged across all sellers that's about $3,300 — some pay nothing, and a home that needs real work can pay far more.
How can a seller keep a deal from falling apart?
Have the home inspected before it goes on the market, then fix or disclose the big items up front. Buyers can't use a surprise to renegotiate or walk away when there's no surprise left. A pre-market inspection is part of the Buddy Blake Team's home selling system.
Resale homes only — new construction and land are left out. A deal "fell apart" when a home went under contract and then came back on the market, or was canceled, withdrawn or expired after a contract was written, however long the contract lasted. Extra days and the price scar compare homes that sold after a deal fell apart with homes that sold on their first contract in the same area and slice. The MLS doesn't record why a contract ended. Source: Hive MLS data compiled by the Buddy Blake Team, updated November 2, 2026.