Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Holden Beach
October 22, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
In Holden Beach, 1 in 3 listings didn't sell this year
Of 156 listings that ended in the last 12 months in Holden Beach, 111 sold and 45 didn't. That's 29%, up from 26% the year before. Sold homes took a median of 44 days, and the median sold price was $950,000.
Summary written October 21, 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 Holden Beach 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: 65 days, and sold for 92.0% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $271 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $792 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $1,558 + mortgage |
About $1,558 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 134 days — roughly $6,876 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Brunswick County rate 0.342 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%
26 of about 138 before closing
Those homes that later sold
50%
39% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
93.5%
vs. 95.0% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
160
vs. 35 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 50% · cash 34% · VA 0% · FHA 0%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Listings priced right at the start had a median of 10 days to sell, and 39 of them sold that way.
- If you have to cut the price, expect to wait. Listings that needed cuts had a median of 64 days to sell, and they sold at 92.3% of asking.
- Get ready for inspections, appraisals and financing. Most contract fall-throughs come from those, based on general industry experience. The MLS doesn't record causes here.
- If a contract falls apart, time matters. 19% of contracts fell apart, about 1 in 5. Half of those homes later sold, and 39% never sold. Those listings had a median of 160 days on the market.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. 82% of homes sold below their first asking price, and they sold at a median of 94.5% of that first ask.
- Homes that sit are a signal. Listings that never sold had been on the market a median of 134 days before they ended.
- Most buyers are paying cash or with conventional loans. 34% paid cash, 50% used conventional financing, and no VA or FHA purchases were recorded.
Did you know?
- For a typical home at $950,000, estimated carrying costs before mortgage are about $1,558 a month.
- While a home sits unsold, estimated carrying costs before mortgage add up to about $6,876.
- Homes that sold after a contract fell apart had a median sale price at 93.5% of asking, compared with 95.0% for homes that sold on the first contract.
Get the Holden Beach report every month
The same numbers, updated monthly, straight to your inbox. No spam, one click to stop.
Thinking of selling in Holden Beach? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
29%
up 2.9 pts from a year ago
45 expired or canceled vs 112 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
94.5%
about the same as a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
82%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
0.0%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
45
about the same as a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
5.5%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
29%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$943K
down 10.4% from a year ago
112 homes sold
The last 24 months
21% latest month · Sep 26
113 latest month · Sep 26
91.9% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $300–400K | 2 | 0 | 0% | 11 | 97.6% |
| $400–500K | 5 | 5 | 50% | 47 | 93.9% |
| $500–750K | 10 | 2 | 17% | 36 | 96.8% |
| $750K–1M | 42 | 15 | 26% | 90 | 95.2% |
| $1M+ | 53 | 23 | 30% | 37 | 93.5% |
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 22, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000