Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: St James, Southport
September 24, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.ai
St James: 1 in 4 Listings Didn't Sell This Year
In the St James neighborhood in Southport, 322 listings ended in the last 12 months, and 242 sold while 80 didn't sell. Homes priced right from the start sold in a median of 12 days, while ones that needed price cuts took 106 days and still needed a median cut of 4.2% before selling.
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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.
Priced right from day one: sold in a median 12 days. Needed price cuts: 107 days, and sold for 91.7% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Mortgage (principal + interest) | $3,522 |
| Property taxes | $190 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $554 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| About | $4,770 |
About $4,770 every month the home sits.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 159 days — roughly $24,900 in holding costs, and the home still didn't sell.
An example, not a quote: 20% down, 30-year fixed at 6.95% (Freddie Mac average, 2026-09-17); 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. If your home is paid off, the mortgage line drops out — the rest still adds up.
When contracts fall apart
Contracts that fell apart
21%
64 of about 306 before closing
Those homes that later sold
67%
31% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
89.6%
vs. 95.6% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
197
vs. 49 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 48% · cash 48% · VA 1% · FHA 0%.
If you're selling
- Price it right at listing. Homes priced right sold in a median of 12 days versus 106 days for the 156 listings that needed cuts.
- The $1M+ range struggled most, with a 36% rate of not selling. The $500-750K range did best at 16%.
- 1 in 5 contracts fell apart before closing. Most often that's inspection, appraisal or financing issues, based on general industry experience.
- Waiting has a cost. A typical home here runs about an estimated $4,770 a month in carrying costs, and homes that sat unsold longer racked up an estimated $24,700.
If you're buying
- Homes here sold at a typical 94.8% of first asking price, and 85% of sales closed below the original list price.
- If a home has been sitting, that's a clue. Listings that never sold sat for a median of 157 days before the listing ended.
- Financing mix varies. 48% of buyers paid cash, 48% used conventional financing, 1% used VA, and 0% used FHA.
Did you know?
- The median sold price in St James over the last 12 months was $666,500.
- Contracts that fell apart and later re-sold took a median of 197 days to close, compared to 49 days for homes that sold on the first contract.
- When a contract fell apart, 68% of those homes later sold anyway, while 30% never sold at all.
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For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
25%
down 2.8 pts from a year ago
81 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 241 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
94.8%
down 0.7 pts from 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
4.4%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
62
up 10 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
27%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$665K
down 8.3% from a year ago
241 homes sold
The last 24 months
20% latest month · Aug 26
72 latest month · Aug 26
93.9% latest month · Aug 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 5 | 3 | 38% | 117 | 94.5% |
| $300–400K | 12 | 9 | 43% | 89 | 93.0% |
| $400–500K | 16 | 2 | 11% | 82 | 95.9% |
| $500–750K | 96 | 18 | 16% | 54 | 94.7% |
| $750K–1M | 62 | 21 | 25% | 67 | 95.5% |
| $1M+ | 50 | 28 | 36% | 55 | 94.6% |
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 24, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000