Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Morehead City
October 21, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
In Morehead City, 1 in 5 homes didn't sell
Over the last 12 months in Morehead City, 317 homes ended their listings. 251 sold and 66 didn't, which is 21%, or 1 in 5. A year before, that number was 18%. The median sold price was $435,000, and a typical home that sold took 28 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 Morehead City 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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.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 8 days. Needed price cuts: 58 days, and sold for 91.4% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $82 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $363 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $941 + mortgage |
About $941 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 162 days — roughly $5,028 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
19%
58 of about 307 before closing
Those homes that later sold
69%
26% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
93.0%
vs. 95.9% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
95
vs. 19 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 45% · cash 43% · VA 8% · FHA 2%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. The 98 homes priced right sold in a median of 8 days. The 153 that needed price cuts took a median of 60 days and sold at a median 91.6% of asking.
- Watch your price range. In Morehead City, $500–750K had the highest rate of homes that didn't sell at 27%. $300–400K had the lowest at 13%.
- Small cuts late don't fix it. Listings that never sold took a median cut of just 1.6% and sat a median 162 days. Waiting has a cost too. On a typical $435,000 home, carrying costs before the mortgage are estimated at about $941 a month, or about $5,028 while it sits unsold.
- Plan for contracts that fall apart, because 19% did, about 1 in 5. The MLS doesn't record why, but most often it's inspection, appraisal or financing issues. Getting the home ready and the paperwork lined up early helps. A first contract sold at a median 95.9% of asking in 19 days. After one fell apart, homes that did sell got a median 93.7% and took 95 days. 69% later sold, and 26% never did.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. 77% of homes sold below the first asking price, and the typical home sold at a median 95.2% of first ask.
- Homes that sit are where the leverage is. Those that needed price cuts took a median of 60 days and sold at a median 91.6% of asking.
- You're not alone if you use a loan, but cash is a big part of the market. 43% of buyers paid cash and 44% used conventional loans. VA was 8% and FHA was 2%.
Did you know?
- Did you know the median home that never sold in Morehead City sat 162 days before the listing ended?
- Did you know that when a first contract falls apart, the home's median time to sell goes from 19 days to 95 days?
- Did you know the share of Morehead City homes that didn't sell went from 18% a year before to 21% over the last 12 months?
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Thinking of selling in Morehead City? What it takes and what it costs →
Deal Killer Report: how often contracts fall apart in Morehead City — and what it costs the seller →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
21%
up 2.8 pts from a year ago
65 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 248 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
95.2%
down 1.2 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
77%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
1.8%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
28
about the same as a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
4.8%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
26%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$437K
up 5.0% from a year ago
248 homes sold
The last 24 months
22% latest month · Sep 26
28 latest month · Sep 26
94.5% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 43 | 9 | 17% | 23 | 96.3% |
| $300–400K | 46 | 7 | 13% | 15 | 95.4% |
| $400–500K | 46 | 11 | 19% | 46 | 93.5% |
| $500–750K | 54 | 20 | 27% | 40 | 95.5% |
| $750K–1M | 23 | 8 | 26% | 63 | 94.5% |
| $1M+ | 36 | 10 | 22% | 8 | 100.0% |
Neighborhoods in Morehead City
| Neighborhood | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brandywine Bay | 35 | 7 | 17% | 19 | 95.9% |
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 21, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000