Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: St James, Southport
October 24, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
St James: 1 in 4 listings ended without a sale
In St James, 1 in 4 listings ended without a sale over the last 12 months, down from 30% the year before. Price and timing made the biggest difference for sellers here, and the numbers below show where the gaps are.
Summary written October 22, 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 St James, Southport 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 12 days. Needed price cuts: 98 days, and sold for 91.8% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $193 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $565 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $1,262 + mortgage |
About $1,262 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 149 days — roughly $6,184 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
21%
65 of about 311 before closing
Those homes that later sold
68%
31% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
90.5%
vs. 95.9% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
193
vs. 43 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 46% · cash 49% · VA 2% · FHA 0%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Homes priced right sold in a median 12 days. Homes that needed cuts took a median 98 days.
- Some price ranges struggle more. The $1M+ range had a 33% didn't-sell rate, and $500–750K had 17%.
- Waiting costs money. Listings that never sold had a median price cut of 3.5% and sat a median 149 days.
- Contracts fell apart 1 in 5 times. Most often that comes down to inspection, appraisal or financing issues, based on general industry experience. Fix the known problems before you list.
If you're buying
- There is room to negotiate. 85% of homes sold below their first asking price, and the median sold price was 95.2% of first ask.
- Some homes sit. 24% of listings ended without a sale, so look closely at any home that has been on the market a while.
- Here is how others are paying. 50% of buyers paid cash, 45% used conventional loans, 2% used VA and 0% used FHA.
Did you know?
- Of 322 listings that ended in the last 12 months, 245 sold.
- The median sold price in St James was $678,500.
- Estimated carrying costs before mortgage for a typical home run about $1,262 a month. While unsold, the estimate is about $6,184 before mortgage.
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For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
24%
down 5.5 pts from a year ago
77 expired or canceled vs 246 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
95.3%
about the same as a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
85%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
3.5%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
54
down 3 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
4.7%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
30%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$680K
down 6.0% from a year ago
246 homes sold
The last 24 months
24% latest month · Sep 26
23 latest month · Sep 26
97.1% 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 | 2 | 40% | 75 | 90.6% |
| $300–400K | 10 | 8 | 44% | 89 | 92.5% |
| $400–500K | 15 | 2 | 12% | 69 | 96.5% |
| $500–750K | 100 | 20 | 17% | 47 | 95.6% |
| $750K–1M | 65 | 19 | 23% | 62 | 95.7% |
| $1M+ | 53 | 26 | 33% | 52 | 94.5% |
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 24, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000