obx sandbar living monthly market update

Happy August!

We hope you're making the most of these final weeks of summer on the Outer Banks! Whether you've been enjoying lazy beach days, fishing at sunrise, family vacations, or simply taking in another unforgettable sunset, it's hard to believe we're already turning the calendar to August.

While summer is still in full swing, this time of year also marks an important transition in our real estate market. Buyers and sellers are beginning to look ahead to the fall season, and the year-to-date numbers through July continue to paint an interesting picture. Some trends have remained steady, while others are beginning to shift—creating opportunities for both buyers and sellers who understand the current market.

In this month's update, we'll break down the latest statistics, explain what they mean in plain English, and share insights to help you make informed real estate decisions, whether you're planning a move this year or simply keeping an eye on the market.

As always, if you'd like to discuss your home's value, a neighborhood you're considering, or a property that caught your eye, we'd love to help. We hope you enjoy this month's market update!

Warmly,

Danielle

Sold and Under Contract Analysis

SINGLE FAMILY RESIDENTIAL:

• YTD residential sales units are up 0.3% versus YTD 2025.

• YTD residential sales dollars are up 3.8% versus YTD 2025.

• YTD median sale price is $710,000, up 0.7% versus YTD 2025 (meaning that half of the properties sold above $710,000 and half sold below that price).

• YTD average sale price is approximately $891,790, up 3.5% versus YTD 2025.

• July 2026 residential sales units were up 25.6% versus July 2025.

• Sales units in July '26 vs. June '26 were up 0.9%.

  • New listing inventory for July was down 0.7% versus June.

• As a comparison, new listings for July '26 were up 4.4% versus July '25.

• July residential sales volume versus June was up 9.5%.

• Active listings are down 2.6% versus June.

• Multiple-offer activity continued to strengthen in July. Residential multiple offers were up nearly 45% compared to June and up about 9% compared to July 2025, reflecting healthy competition for well-priced homes despite increased inventory in many market segments. While multiple offers are not a required disclosure in our MLS, they remain heavily influenced by pricing strategy, property condition, and location. Be sure to watch our monthly stats videos for additional market insight.

• While the market remains active, it continues to reward homes that are priced and positioned correctly from day one. Buyers remain selective and well-informed, making strategic pricing, presentation, and marketing more important than ever. It's also essential to understand what factors are most relevant to an Outer Banks home’s value, as buyer demographics and motivations continue to evolve and vary significantly by price point and location.

  Now, let's look at month-over-month:

  • The median sale price for all residential properties sold in July was $700,000, down 3.3% versus June.

  • July 2026's median sale price was essentially flat (down less than 1%) versus July 2025.

  • July '26 vs. July '25, residential properties sold 14.1% faster (based on average days on market). Year-to-date, homes are selling 12.3% faster than they were at this time in 2025.

  • We actually saw an increase in cash buyers, with cash purchases up 9.2 percentage points July vs. July (29.2% of sales in July 2026 versus 20.0% in July 2025).

  • Disclosed multiple offers also increased, rising from 12.2% of sales in July 2025 to 14.2% in July 2026—an increase of 2% year over year. Compared to June 2026, multiple-offer activity was up nearly 45%, a strong indication that well-priced homes continue to attract competitive buyer interest. (As always, keep in mind that multiple offers are not a required disclosure in our MLS.)

  RESIDENTIAL LOTS AND LAND:

  • YTD residential land sales units are down 21.8% versus YTD 2025.

  • YTD residential land sales dollars are down 6.9% versus YTD 2025.

  • YTD residential land median sold price is $163,750, up 7.0% versus YTD 2025.

  • July residential land sales units were down 26.9% compared to July 2025.

  • July residential land sales units were up 73% versus June.

  • July residential land sales dollars were up 9.5% versus July 2025.

  • July residential land sales dollars were down 16% versus June.

Inventory Analysis

• New listing inventory for July 2026 was up 4.4% versus July 2025 and down 0.7% versus June's new listings.

  • Drilling down, 142 new listings hit the market in July 2026, with 49 of those properties (34.5%) already sold or under contract.

• Average days on market for these new listings is 11 days; median days on market is 10 days (the good stuff continues to move quickly!).

• Five of those listings had already closed as of the report date. Of those closed sales, 40% were cash transactions, and 20% disclosed receiving multiple offers (as a reminder, disclosure of multiple offers is not required by our MLS).

• See the chart below for the full breakdown by area…

days on market and distressed data analysis

• Average days on market for SOLD residential properties in July was 61 days, 9% slower than June's average of 56 days.

• The average home sold 14.1% faster in July 2026 (61 days) versus July 2025 (71 days).

• The median days on market in July was 47 days, meaning that half of the sold properties went under contract in 47 days or less.

• Year to date, the average days on market for properties sold in 2026 is 64 days (versus 73 days through July 2025), meaning that the average property has sold 12.3% faster than it did one year ago.

• Average days on market for all current ACTIVE residential listings is 113 days (up 5.6% versus June).

• Month-over-month, the average days on market for Under Contract properties is 71 days (up 6.9% versus 67 days in June).

• 34.5% of properties listed in July have already gone under contract or sold, with an average of just 11 days on market.

• The overall market continues to demonstrate that desirable, well-priced homes are attracting buyers quickly. While the average days on market for closed and under contract properties ticked up slightly in July, over one-third of all new listings were already under contract or sold by the report date, reinforcing that homes priced appropriately for today's market—and located in sought-after areas—continue to move quickly and often generate strong buyer interest.

• For distressed sales (short sales and/or bank-owned properties), there were 0 sold units in July ‘26 (down from 1 in July 2025). There were 0 active distressed units as of July 31, 2026.

pricing analysis

Residential Median Sale Price for YTD 2026 is $710,000, which up .7% versus the year prior.

You’ll find a breakdown by price point below:

area data at-a-glance

*All market data presented is courtesy of the Outer Banks Association of REALTORS MLS Single Family Residential, Jan 1 - July 31, 2025 and 2026.

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