Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Middlesex
October 18, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
Middlesex: 1 in 5 homes didn't sell, and the ones that waited paid for it
In Middlesex over the last 12 months, 64 homes came off the market and 13 of them didn't sell. That's 20%, or 1 in 5, down from 26% the year before. Homes priced right from the start sold in a median of 30 days. Homes that needed price cuts took 119 days.
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 Middlesex 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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.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 30 days. Needed price cuts: 119 days, and sold for 92.6% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $131 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $252 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $887 + mortgage |
About $887 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 153 days — roughly $4,470 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: Johnston County rate 0.52 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%
12 of about 63 before closing
Those homes that later sold
83%
17% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
96.6%
vs. 100.0% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
98
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 69% · cash 4% · VA 4% · FHA 18%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. The 32 homes priced right sold in a median of 30 days. The 19 that needed cuts took 119 days and sold at a median of 92.6% of asking.
- Cuts alone don't fix it late. Listings that never sold sat a median of 153 days and cut the price a median of 3.0%. That cut came too small and too late.
- Waiting costs money. On a home around $302,000, carrying costs before the mortgage run about $887 a month, estimated. At 153 days unsold, that's about $4,470 estimated, before the mortgage.
- Contracts fall apart in about 1 in 5 cases (19%). The MLS doesn't record why. In general industry experience it's most often inspection, appraisal or financing issues. Get the home ready and the paperwork lined up before you list. 83% of those homes later sold, but they took a median of 98 days, versus 35 days for homes whose first contract held.
If you're buying
- There's room to talk. In Middlesex, 45% of homes sold below their first asking price. The typical home sold at 100.0% of first ask, so the gap is in the homes that needed cuts.
- Watch the homes that sit. Listings that needed cuts took a median of 119 days and sold at a median of 92.6% of asking. Those sellers have had time to rethink their number.
- Most buyers here use a loan. Conventional was 69% and FHA 18%. VA was 4% and cash was 4%.
Did you know?
- Middlesex's median sold price over the last 12 months was $302,000.
- The share of Middlesex homes that didn't sell dropped from 26% to 20% in a year.
- When a first contract fell apart, 83% of those homes later sold, at a median of 96.6% of asking. 17% never sold.
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Thinking of selling in Middlesex? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
20%
down 5.4 pts from a year ago
13 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 51 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
100.0%
up 0.7 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
45%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
3.0%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
52
down 16 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
0.0%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
0%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$302K
down 2.9% from a year ago
51 homes sold
The last 24 months
33% latest month · Sep 26
15 latest month · Sep 26
100.0% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 22 | 0 | 0% | 63 | 100.0% |
| $300–400K | 21 | 7 | 25% | 34 | 100.0% |
| $400–500K | 4 | 2 | 33% | 225 | 94.8% |
| $500–750K | 2 | 0 | 0% | 88 | 96.3% |
| $750K–1M | 1 | 2 | 67% | 183 | 83.5% |
| $1M+ | 1 | 2 | 67% | 19 | 90.9% |
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