Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Tranquil Harbor, Oak Island
October 24, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.com
Tranquil Harbor: 1 in 4 listings didn't sell in the last 12 months
Tranquil Harbor in Oak Island had 173 listings end in the last 12 months. 129 sold and 44 didn't sell, or 1 in 4. That's down from 28% the year before, but it still means a lot of homes went nowhere.
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 Tranquil Harbor, Oak Island 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 17 days. Needed price cuts: 98 days, and sold for 91.8% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $150 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $438 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $1,092 + mortgage |
About $1,092 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 162 days — roughly $5,815 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
11%
16 of about 144 before closing
Those homes that later sold
56%
44% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
89.5%
vs. 95.6% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
133
vs. 38 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 67% · cash 22% · VA 3% · FHA 0%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Homes priced right from the start sold in a median 17 days.
- Waiting costs money. Listings that needed price cuts took a median 101 days to sell, and sold at a median 91.8% of their first ask.
- Watch the $750K–1M range. It had the highest didn't-sell rate at 41%, against 21% for $400–500K.
- Contracts fell apart in 1 in 9 cases. Most often that's inspection, appraisal or financing issues, based on general industry experience. Get repairs and paperwork ready before you go under contract.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. 87% of homes sold below their first ask.
- Homes that never sold had a median 1.9% price cut and sat a median 162 days.
- Buyers paid cash 23% of the time, conventional 66%, VA 3%, and FHA 0%.
Did you know?
- 87% of Tranquil Harbor sales closed below the first asking price.
- 1 in 9 contracts fell apart here in the last 12 months.
- For a typical $525,000 home, estimated carrying costs are about $1,092 a month before mortgage.
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For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
25%
down 3.5 pts from a year ago
43 expired or canceled vs 128 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
95.4%
down 0.7 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
87%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
1.9%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
44
down 19 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
4.6%
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
$525K
down 10.4% from a year ago
128 homes sold
The last 24 months
7% latest month · Sep 26
30 latest month · Sep 26
96.3% latest month · Sep 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 5 | 3 | 38% | 24 | 89.5% |
| $300–400K | 8 | 2 | 20% | 8 | 97.0% |
| $400–500K | 27 | 6 | 18% | 30 | 95.4% |
| $500–750K | 59 | 17 | 22% | 71 | 94.9% |
| $750K–1M | 20 | 14 | 41% | 37 | 96.4% |
| $1M+ | 9 | 1 | 10% | 46 | 97.6% |
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