Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Elm City
October 24, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
Elm City: 1 in 4 listings ended without selling last year
In Elm City over the last 12 months, 96 listings ended, and 22 of them didn't sell. That's 23%, or 1 in 4, compared with 22% the year before. The typical home that sold went for $266,250 in 40 days.
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 Elm City 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 10 days. Needed price cuts: 111 days, and sold for 90.0% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $132 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $222 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $857 + mortgage |
About $857 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 90 days — roughly $2,512 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Wilson County rate 0.595 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
14%
12 of about 86 before closing
Those homes that later sold
83%
17% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
90.1%
vs. 98.2% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
158
vs. 24 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 46% · cash 12% · VA 5% · FHA 31%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Homes priced right from the start sold in a median of 10 days.
- Waiting costs money. Listings that never sold had a median price cut of 2.8% and sat a median of 90 days.
- Avoid the $300–400K range, where 32% of listings didn't sell.
- Contracts fall apart about 14% of the time, or 1 in 7. Most often that's inspection, appraisal or financing issues, based on general industry experience. Get your home inspected and your pre-listing details sorted before you go live.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. 64% of homes sold below their first asking price.
- Some homes sit. Listings that never sold sat a median of 90 days, so a home that has been on the market a while may be open to an offer.
- Here's how buyers are paying: 46% conventional, 31% FHA, 12% cash and 5% VA.
Did you know?
- Homes that needed price cuts took a median of 111 days to sell and sold at a median 90.0% of asking.
- Estimated carrying costs for a typical home are about $857 a month before mortgage, and about $2,512 before mortgage while a home sits unsold.
- After a contract fell through, 83% of those homes later sold, and 17% never sold.
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Thinking of selling in Elm City? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
23%
up 1.1 pts from a year ago
22 expired or canceled vs 74 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
98.0%
about the same as a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
64%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
2.8%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
40
up 13 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
2.0%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
9%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$266K
down 3.2% from a year ago
74 homes sold
The last 24 months
17% latest month · Sep 26
36 latest month · Sep 26
98.2% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 46 | 9 | 16% | 24 | 98.3% |
| $300–400K | 19 | 9 | 32% | 97 | 93.8% |
| $400–500K | 2 | 1 | 33% | 137 | 93.0% |
| $500–750K | 6 | 2 | 25% | 24 | 98.6% |
| $750K–1M | 1 | 1 | 50% | 233 | 91.8% |
Elm City housing market: quick answers
How long do homes take to sell in Elm City?
Homes that sold in Elm City over the last 12 months took a median of 40 days, counted from the day they were first listed (relists included). That's up 13 days from a year ago.
What do homes in Elm City sell for compared to the asking price?
The median home in Elm City sold for 98.0% of its first asking price in the last 12 months, and 64% of the homes that sold went for less than the original price. That's about the same as a year ago.
What percentage of homes listed in Elm City don't sell?
23% of homes listed in Elm City over the last 12 months expired or were canceled without selling — about 1 in 4 (22 didn't sell vs 74 sold). That's up 1.1 pts from a year ago. The homes that didn't sell had already cut their price a median 2.8%.
What is the median sold price in Elm City?
The median sold price in Elm City over the last 12 months was $266,250, across 74 homes sold. That's down 3.2% from a year ago.
Where do these Elm City housing market numbers come from?
Hive MLS listing and sales records for homes only (land excluded), covering the last 12 months and updated October 24, 2026. The figures refresh from the MLS every hour; "didn't sell" counts only expired and canceled listings. Compiled by Buddy Blake Team, Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage.
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