Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Craven County
October 24, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
One in five Craven County listings ended without a sale
Over the last 12 months, 1 in 5 Craven County listings ended without a sale. Of 2,220 listings that ended, 1,805 sold and 415 didn't sell, a 19% rate, up from 15% the year before. Sold homes took a typical 35 days, and the median sold price was $320,000.
Summary written October 25, 2026 from that day's numbers. The figures in the tiles update every hour, so they can differ slightly.
Which pile do you want to be in?
Out of every 20 homes listed in Craven County over the last 12 months, the solid houses sold. The outlined ones expired or were canceled.
Priced right from day one: sold in a median 20 days. Needed price cuts: 75 days, and sold for 92.9% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $119 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $267 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $881 + mortgage |
About $881 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 123 days — roughly $3,571 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Craven County rate 0.4448 per $100 (NC Department of Revenue, 2025-26 county rates); town taxes add more inside town limits; insurance, upkeep (1% of value a year) and utilities are typical estimates.
When contracts fall apart
Contracts that fell apart
19%
424 of about 2,243 before closing
Those homes that later sold
70%
27% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
95.5%
vs. 98.8% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
93
vs. 29 on the first contract
The MLS doesn't record why a contract ends. In our experience the most common reasons are home inspection findings, appraisals that come in below the price, and buyer financing. How buyers paid on closed sales: conventional 31% · cash 21% · VA 37% · FHA 10%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Homes priced right from the start sold in a median 20 days.
- Waiting costs money. For a $320,000 home, carrying costs before mortgage are estimated at about $3,571 a month while it sits unsold.
- Listings that needed price cuts took a median 75 days to sell and sold at 92.9% of asking.
- Contracts fall apart about 1 in 5 times here. Most often that's inspection, appraisal or financing issues, based on general industry experience. Get the house ready for inspection and talk to your lender early.
If you're buying
- Room to negotiate. 61% of homes sold below their first asking price.
- Watch the high end. The $1M+ range had a 43% didn't-sell rate, while Under $300K had 16%.
- Buyers paid with VA loans 37%, conventional 31%, cash 21% and FHA 10%.
Did you know?
- Homes that never sold were listed a median 123 days, with a median price cut of 2.0%.
- After a contract fell apart, 70% of those homes later sold.
- Estimated carrying costs before mortgage for a typical $320,000 home are about $881 a month.
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Deal Killer Report: how often contracts fall apart in Craven County — and what it costs the seller →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
19%
up 3.7 pts from a year ago
415 expired or canceled vs 1,805 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
98.5%
about the same as a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
61%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
2.0%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
35
up 5 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
1.5%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
22%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$320K
up 3.0% from a year ago
1,805 homes sold
The last 24 months
22% latest month · Sep 26
28 latest month · Sep 26
97.7% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 700 | 129 | 16% | 24 | 98.0% |
| $300–400K | 694 | 136 | 16% | 44 | 99.4% |
| $400–500K | 218 | 74 | 25% | 48 | 98.4% |
| $500–750K | 139 | 48 | 26% | 45 | 97.3% |
| $750K–1M | 37 | 15 | 29% | 71 | 96.0% |
| $1M+ | 17 | 13 | 43% | 66 | 91.6% |
By town
| Town | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Bern | 1,404 | 317 | 18% | 38 | 98.6% |
| Havelock | 268 | 65 | 20% | 26 | 98.2% |
| Trent Woods | 53 | 12 | 19% | 34 | 94.7% |
Homes only (land excluded), last 12 months unless noted. "Didn't sell" = listings that expired or were canceled — withdrawn and on-hold listings are not counted (some owners stop for reasons that have nothing to do with the market); true days on market counts from the first listing, even when a home was relisted. Source: Hive MLS listing and sales records, updated October 24, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000