Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Emerald Isle
October 18, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
Emerald Isle: 1 in 3 listings ended without a sale
In Emerald Isle over the last 12 months, 317 homes came off the market and 118 of them didn't sell. That's 37%, up from 33% the year before. The typical home that did sell took 63 days and went for 94.6% of its first asking price.
Summary written October 17, 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 Emerald Isle over the last 12 months, the solid houses sold. The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.
Priced right from day one: sold in a median 16 days. Needed price cuts: 106 days, and sold for 92.2% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $153 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $679 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $1,336 + mortgage |
About $1,336 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 166 days — roughly $7,262 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Carteret County rate 0.225 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
18%
44 of about 243 before closing
Those homes that later sold
52%
43% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
94.0%
vs. 94.7% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
212
vs. 57 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 58% · cash 30% · VA 3% · FHA 1%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. The 60 homes priced right sold in a typical 16 days. The 139 that needed price cuts took a typical 106 days and sold at 92.2% of asking.
- The $750K–1M range was toughest, with 51% not selling. The $500–750K range did best, though 31% still didn't sell.
- Waiting costs money. At the median sold price of $815,000, estimated carrying costs are about $1,336 a month before any mortgage. About $7,262 is the estimated cost while a home sits unsold.
- Contracts fall apart too: 18% of them, about 1 in 6. Most often that's inspection, appraisal or financing issues, in my experience. Get ahead of them with pre-listing repairs and a realistic price. After a contract failed, the typical home took 212 days to sell, against 57 days for a first contract.
If you're buying
- You have room to talk price. 84% of homes sold below their first asking price, and the typical sale was 94.6% of it.
- Look at homes that have sat. Listings that never sold typically sat 166 days and cut their price a median of 2.1%.
- You're not bidding against only cash. 31% of buyers paid cash and 58% used conventional loans. VA was 3% and FHA was 1%.
Did you know?
- Emerald Isle's median sold price over the last 12 months was $815,000.
- Of homes that lost a contract, 52% later sold and 43% never sold at all.
- A home that sold after a contract fell apart went for 94.0% of asking. A first contract went for 94.7%.
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Thinking of selling in Emerald Isle? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
37%
up 4.6 pts from a year ago
118 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 199 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
94.6%
down 0.8 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
84%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
2.1%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
63
up 21 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
5.4%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
19%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$815K
up 9.4% from a year ago
199 homes sold
The last 24 months
54% latest month · Sep 26
153 latest month · Sep 26
85.2% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 3 | 5 | 63% | 226 | 94.6% |
| $300–400K | 9 | 4 | 31% | 58 | 94.8% |
| $400–500K | 13 | 8 | 38% | 44 | 95.9% |
| $500–750K | 59 | 27 | 31% | 46 | 97.0% |
| $750K–1M | 28 | 29 | 51% | 64 | 95.3% |
| $1M+ | 87 | 45 | 34% | 87 | 91.8% |
Homes only (land excluded), last 12 months unless noted. "Didn't sell" = listings that expired, were withdrawn or were canceled (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 18, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000