Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Castle Hayne
October 5, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.ai
Castle Hayne: 1 in 6 Listings Didn't Sell Last Year
Over the last 12 months, 325 homes in Castle Hayne finished up, and 273 of them sold. Homes priced right from day one typically sold in 15 days, while ones that needed price cuts took 79 days and still sold for less.
Summary written September 30, 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 Castle Hayne 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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.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 15 days. Needed price cuts: 79 days, and sold for 92.9% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Property taxes | $102 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $333 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| Your mortgage payment | if you have one |
| About | $935 + mortgage |
About $935 every month the home sits — plus your mortgage payment.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 147 days — roughly $4,507 in taxes, insurance, upkeep and utilities alone, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: New Hanover County rate 0.306 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
16%
54 of about 334 before closing
Those homes that later sold
85%
13% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
97.2%
vs. 98.7% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
59
vs. 26 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 41% · cash 16% · VA 9% · FHA 30%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one — homes priced correctly sold in 15 days versus 79 days for those needing cuts.
- The $500–750K range struggled most, with 23% not selling. Under $300K was the best spot, at only 9%.
- Listings that never sold sat a median of 147 days before being pulled, with a median price cut of 2.1%.
- 16% of contracts fell apart — that's 1 in 6. Most often it's inspection, appraisal or financing issues. Homes that had a contract fall through and later resold took 53 days and sold at 97.0% of asking, versus 23 days and 98.7% for those that sold on the first contract.
If you're buying
- Typical sale price was $399,999, at 98.4% of the first asking price — 62% of homes sold below that first ask, so there's room to negotiate.
- Homes that sat on the market or needed price cuts sold at 92.7% of asking — worth watching for a longer-sitting listing.
- Buyers paid a mix: 41% conventional loans, 30% FHA, 16% cash, and 9% VA.
Did you know?
- The didNotSell rate actually improved slightly, from 18% the year before to 16% this year.
- After a contract fell apart, 87% of those homes went on to sell anyway — only 12% never sold.
- At a $399,999 price with a 7.03% mortgage rate, estimated monthly carrying cost runs about $3,070 — and a home that sits unsold can rack up an estimated $14,800 in carrying costs.
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Thinking of selling in Castle Hayne? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
16%
down 2.7 pts from a year ago
52 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 280 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
98.4%
about the same as a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
62%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
2.0%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
29
down 4 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
1.6%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
21%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$400K
down 0.8% from a year ago
280 homes sold
The last 24 months
8% latest month · Sep 26
52 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 | 39 | 4 | 9% | 30 | 97.1% |
| $300–400K | 85 | 9 | 10% | 30 | 98.7% |
| $400–500K | 107 | 13 | 11% | 20 | 99.6% |
| $500–750K | 30 | 9 | 23% | 103 | 95.0% |
| $750K–1M | 9 | 14 | 61% | 88 | 98.8% |
| $1M+ | 10 | 3 | 23% | 63 | 98.2% |
Neighborhoods in Castle Hayne
| Neighborhood | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sidbury Station | 132 | 6 | 4% | 21 | 100.0% |
| River Bluffs | 33 | 16 | 33% | 88 | 98.3% |
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 5, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000