Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Kinston
October 18, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
In Kinston, 1 in 4 homes that listed didn't sell
In Kinston over the last 12 months, 381 homes came off the market and 97 of them didn't sell. That's 26%, up from 21% the year before. The 284 that did sell took a typical 37 days at a median price of $198,938.
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 Kinston 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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.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 14 days. Needed price cuts: 69 days, and sold for 90.3% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $112 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $166 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $778 + mortgage |
About $778 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 133 days — roughly $3,393 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Lenoir County rate 0.675 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
25%
95 of about 379 before closing
Those homes that later sold
63%
34% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
87.8%
vs. 95.8% 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 30% · VA 17% · FHA 18%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. The 107 homes priced right sold in a typical 14 days. The 177 that needed price cuts took 69 days and sold at 90.3% of asking.
- Under $300K is the toughest range here. 26% of those listings didn't sell, against 16% in the $300–400K range.
- Waiting costs money. On a typical home at $198,938, carrying costs run about $778 a month before the mortgage, or an estimated $3,393 while it sits unsold. Listings that never sold sat a median 133 days and cut the price a median 4.3%.
- About 1 in 4 contracts fell apart. Most often that's inspection, appraisal or financing issues, so get ahead of them. The second time around took 90 days instead of 29, and sold at 88.0% instead of 95.8%.
If you're buying
- You have room to talk. 75% of Kinston homes sold below their first asking price, and the median sale came in at 94.8% of it.
- Look at the homes that sit. Ones that needed cuts took 69 days and sold at 90.3% of asking. Listings that never sold sat a median 133 days.
- You're not alone in how you pay. 30% of buyers paid cash, 31% went conventional, 18% used FHA and 17% used VA.
Did you know?
- Did you know? When a Kinston contract fell apart, 64% of those homes later sold, and 33% never did.
- Did you know? Listings in Kinston that never sold still cut their price a median 4.3%. It wasn't enough.
- Did you know? Kinston's best range for selling was $300–400K, where only 16% of listings didn't sell.
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Thinking of selling in Kinston? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
26%
up 5.0 pts from a year ago
97 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 284 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
94.8%
down 1.6 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
75%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
4.3%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
37
up 6 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
5.2%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
17%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$199K
about the same as a year ago
284 homes sold
The last 24 months
13% latest month · Sep 26
56 latest month · Sep 26
94.9% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 236 | 84 | 26% | 35 | 93.7% |
| $300–400K | 31 | 6 | 16% | 38 | 97.5% |
| $400–500K | 10 | 4 | 29% | 50 | 95.5% |
| $500–750K | 4 | 1 | 20% | 87 | 96.1% |
| $750K–1M | 2 | 2 | 50% | 225 | 94.1% |
| $1M+ | 1 | 0 | 0% | 42 | 80.5% |
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