The latest on the Cape Fear housing market: days on market are stretching out. Here is where prices, days on market, and rates stand.
Welcome to our monthly market update. The goal is simple: skip the national headlines and tell you what is actually happening in the three counties we work in every day — New Hanover, Brunswick, and Pender. No spin, just the numbers and what they mean if you are thinking about making a move this fall.
The headline this month: days on market are stretching out. Buyers across all three counties have noticeably more time to shop and negotiate than they did a year ago — New Hanover homes are taking 18 days longer to sell, Brunswick 32 days longer, and Pender 49 days longer. Prices have not backed off, though: every county posted a year-over-year gain, and sales activity in Pender is running far ahead of last year’s pace. Nationally, NAR reported existing-home sales down 1.7% in July, with the median price up 2.0% to $434,100 — well behind the sales growth we are seeing locally, even with homes here also taking longer to sell.
By the Numbers
| County | Median Sale Price | Year-over-Year | Days on Market | Homes Sold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Hanover | $503,523 | +9.5% | 49 days | 435 |
| Brunswick | $404,204 | +10.0% | 92 days | 648 |
| Pender* | $568,000 | +3.3% | 85 days | 155 |
Source: Redfin — median sale price reflects the 3 months ending July 2026 (New Hanover, Brunswick); days on market and homes sold reflect July 2026, all counties. *Pender median price reflects Realtor.com listing data via FRED, month ending July 2026 — Redfin’s county-level sale price was not available this month; Pender days-on-market and homes-sold are from Redfin, also July 2026.
[Chart 1 — attach cape-fear-sept2026-chart1-price-dom.png here: median sale price by county, current month vs. same month last year, with days on market labeled]
New Hanover County
New Hanover — Wilmington, Wrightsville Beach, and Carolina Beach — saw a median sale price of $503,523, up 9.5% from a year ago, with homes selling in a median of 49 days, about 18 days longer than a year ago. 435 homes sold in the latest month — up 6.4% year over year.
Brunswick County
Brunswick — Leland, Southport, Oak Island, and the Brunswick beaches — saw a median sale price of $404,204, up 10.0% from a year ago, with homes selling in a median of 92 days, about 32 days longer than a year ago. 648 homes sold in the latest month — up 3.2% year over year.
Pender County
Pender — Hampstead, the Topsail area, Burgaw, and Rocky Point — saw a median list price of $568,000, up 3.3% from a year ago. Redfin’s county-level sale price data was not available for Pender this month, so this figure reflects Realtor.com listing data instead, while days on market and homes sold are still drawn from Redfin. Homes sold in a median of 85 days, about 49 days longer than a year ago, and 155 homes sold in the latest month — up 42.2% year over year, the fastest sales growth of the three counties.
Where Rates Stand
Freddie Mac puts the average 30-year fixed mortgage at 6.71% this week and the 15-year fixed at 6.04%, both up slightly from 6.66% and 5.98% a week earlier. Rates have climbed roughly half a point since early April. For buyers, locking sooner matters more than it did a few months ago. For sellers, it is one more reason accurate pricing beats list-price optimism.
[Chart 2 — attach cape-fear-sept2026-chart2-rates.png here: Freddie Mac 30-year fixed rate, trailing 6 months, current week labeled]
What This Means for You
If you’re buying: Longer days on market across every county we track means real negotiating room — on price, repairs, closing costs, and timing. Do not wait on the sidelines for rates to drop before writing an offer; you can refinance later, but you cannot go back and buy at today’s price once it moves. Pender’s sales pace is still running far ahead of last year, so well-priced homes there are moving quickly — be ready to act, and lean on a local team that can tell you within a day or two whether a listing is priced fairly for its neighborhood.
If you’re selling: Every county in our footprint posted a price gain this year, but buyers are taking longer to decide, and your pricing needs to reflect that. Homes sitting past 45 or 50 days are usually priced for last year’s market, not this one. Get a neighborhood-specific read on value before you list, price it correctly from day one, and expect more negotiation on repairs and terms than a year ago. The sellers doing best right now treat the first two weeks on market as their best shot at full price, not a starting point to negotiate down from.
Have a question about your specific neighborhood or what your home would sell for in today’s market? That’s what we’re here for — reach out anytime.
— Matthew Kane, Tidal Realty Partners
Market data: Redfin (median sale price, 3 months ending July 2026, New Hanover and Brunswick; days on market and homes sold, July 2026, all counties). Realtor.com via FRED (median list price, Pender, month ending July 2026). Mortgage rates: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey. Figures are county-level medians and reflect general market conditions, not an appraisal or valuation of any specific property.
