Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage
Market insights: Sterling Oaks, Ash
September 23, 2026
(910) 395‑1000 · buddyblake.ai
Sterling Oaks Homes Are Selling Fast, Right at Asking
In the Sterling Oaks neighborhood in Ash, the typical home that sold went under contract in 1 days and sold at 100.0% of asking price. Over the last 12 months, 42 listings ended, 28 sold, and 14 didn't sell — a 33% didn't-sell rate, down from 67% the year before.
Which pile do you want to be in?
Out of every 20 homes listed in Sterling Oaks, Ash 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 The outlined ones expired, were withdrawn or were canceled.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 1 days. Needed price cuts: 103 days, and sold for 87.1% of the first price.
What waiting costs
| Mortgage (principal + interest) | $1,533 |
| Property taxes | $82 |
| Homeowners insurance | $250 |
| Upkeep | $241 |
| Utilities | $250 |
| About | $2,360 |
About $2,360 every month the home sits.
Listings that didn't sell stayed on the market a median of 28 days — roughly $2,200 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
10%
3 of about 31 before closing
Those homes that later sold
67%
33% never sold
Sold vs. first ask after a fall-through
90.8%
vs. 100.0% on the first contract
Days to sell after a fall-through
102
vs. 1 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 14% · VA 14% · FHA 25%.
If you're selling
- Homes priced right from day one sold in 1 days — 24 of them did just that.
- Wait too long to adjust and it shows: listings that needed price cuts sat 103 days and sold at only 87.1% of asking.
- 1 in 10 contracts fell apart before closing — most often inspection, appraisal or financing issues, as is typical industry-wide.
- Homes that never sold sat a median of 28 days before the listing ended.
If you're buying
- Homes here are moving in 1 days at full asking price, so there's little room to wait around.
- If a contract falls apart, most of those homes go on to sell later, typically at 90.8% of asking.
- Buyers are paying in a mix of ways: 46% conventional, 25% FHA, 14% VA, and 14% cash.
Did you know?
- Listings that never sold in Sterling Oaks sat a median of 28 days before ending.
- Homes that sold after an earlier contract fell apart still closed at 90.8% of asking, versus 100.0% for first-time contracts.
- Carrying a typical Sterling Oaks home at today's 6.95% rate runs about $2,360 a month, estimated.
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For sellers
Listings that didn't sell
33%
down 33.4 pts from a year ago
14 expired, withdrawn or canceled vs 28 sold
Sold vs. first asking price
100.0%
up 4.8 pts from a year ago
median sale price ÷ original list price
Sold below first asking
25%
share of homes that sold
Price cut on homes that didn't sell
0.0%
median — and they still didn't sell
For buyers
True days on market
1
about the same as a year ago
median for sold homes, counted from the first listing
Typical room below first ask
0.0%
how far under the original price homes sold
Didn't sell, then sold on a relist
14%
of listings that didn't sell the first time
Median sold price
$289K
down 3.5% from a year ago
28 homes sold
The last 12 months
100% latest month · Aug 26
1 latest month · Jul 26
100.4% latest month · Jul 26
By starting price
| First asking | Sold | Didn't sell | % didn't sell | True days | Sold vs. first ask |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under $300K | 13 | 8 | 38% | 1 | 100.0% |
| $300–400K | 15 | 6 | 29% | 1 | 100.0% |
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 23, 2026. Totals only — no individual listing is shown. Buddy Blake Team · Coldwell Banker Sea Coast Advantage · (910) 395‑1000