Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Kinston
September 26, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.ai
Kinston: 1 in 4 Listings Didn't Sell This Year
Over the last 12 months, 375 homes in Kinston finished up, and 282 of them sold. The typical seller who priced it right from the start sold in 14 days, while homes that needed price cuts sat for 65 days before going under contract.
Which pile do you want to be in?
Out of every 20 homes listed in Kinston 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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.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 14 days. Needed price cuts: 65 days, and sold for 90.8% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Mortgage (principal + interest) | $1,041 |
| Property taxes | $110 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $163 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| About | $1,810 |
About $1,810 every month the home sits.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 133 days — roughly $7,900 in holding costs, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: 20% down, 30-year fixed at 7.03% (Freddie Mac average, 2026-09-24); Lenoir County rate 0.675 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. If your home is paid off, the mortgage line drops out — the rest still adds up.
When contracts fall apart
Contracts that fell apart
23%
84 of about 368 before closing
Those homes that later sold
71%
26% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
88.9%
vs. 95.7% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
90
vs. 29 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 31% · cash 31% · VA 16% · FHA 18%.
If you're selling
- Price it right from day one. Listings priced correctly sold in 14 days versus 65 days for ones that needed a cut.
- Homes under $300K didn't sell 25% of the time, the toughest range in Kinston. The $300–400K range did best, with only a 19% didn't-sell rate.
- Waiting has a cost. Listings that never sold sat a median of 133 days and still needed a 3.9% price cut.
- 23% of contracts fell apart before closing, most often inspection, appraisal or financing issues. Homes that went back on the market and later sold took 90 days and closed at 88.9% of asking, versus 95.7% for first-time contracts.
If you're buying
- There's room to negotiate. Typical sold price is 94.8% of first asking, and 75% of homes sold below that first ask.
- Homes that sat and needed a price cut still sold at 90.8% of asking, so a slower listing doesn't mean a big discount.
- Buyers are paying different ways: 31% cash, 31% conventional loans, 18% FHA, and 16% VA.
Did you know?
- The median sold price in Kinston is $195,000.
- At a 7.03% mortgage rate, carrying a $195,000 home runs about $1,810 a month, or an estimated $7,900 while it sits unsold.
- The didn't-sell rate crept up from 20% a year ago to 25% now.
Get the Kinston report every month
The same numbers, updated monthly, straight to your inbox. No spam, one click to stop.
Thinking of selling in Kinston? What it takes and what it costs →
For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
25%
up 4.8 pts from a year ago
93 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 282 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
94.8%
down 1.5 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
75%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
3.9%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
35
up 2 days from a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
5.2%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
16%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$195K
down 2.5% from a year ago
282 homes sold
The last 24 months
24% latest month · Aug 26
27 latest month · Aug 26
93.8% latest month · Aug 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 236 | 80 | 25% | 33 | 94.1% |
| $300–400K | 29 | 7 | 19% | 38 | 97.8% |
| $400–500K | 10 | 4 | 29% | 50 | 95.5% |
| $500–750K | 4 | 1 | 20% | 87 | 96.1% |
| $750K–1M | 2 | 1 | 33% | 225 | 94.1% |
| $1M+ | 1 | 0 | 0% | 42 | 80.5% |
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 September 26, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000