August 2026- MLS Report
The High–Country Real Estate Market, which includes Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties,
had 191 closed sales of single-family properties, including condo/townhouse properties, in August
2026, with a combined closing total of $142.9 million. The median sales price of $492,000 included
all four counties for August 2026.

Nationally: Existing home sales decreased by 2.0% in the month of August 2026. Month-over-month
sales remained steady in the West and declined in the Northeast, Midwest, and South. Year-over-year
sales were unchanged in the South and decreased in the Northeast, Midwest, and West.
“It’s not surprising to see a mild dip in the housing market due to higher mortgage rates,” said
NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. Yet, home prices are still rising, and existing homes are up 1.6%
year- to- date through the first eight months of the year. Despite higher interest rates, homebuying
demand is no doubt being supported by rising wages, which grew 3.1% in August, along with 643,000
net new jobs added since the start of the year. In part, job creation and wage growth is what
typically drives housing demand.
Yun added that “The number of months it would take to exhaust the total inventory at the current
sales pace is the highest level in over ten years, as it has grown to 4.9 months' supply. In turn,
this is giving homebuyers better opportunities to negotiate due to the ample supply of homes on the
market.
https://www.nar.realtor/research-and-statistics/housing-statistics/existing-home-sales

Inventory: In August 2026, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga Counties had 1,222 active
single-family and condo/ townhouse listings, down 1.5 % compared to July 2026, following an
additional 298 new listings, an increase of 1.0%, creating a supply of 6.4 for the month.
Land: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga closed with sixty- one land sales in July 2026, with a
median sales price of $99,900, down 8.1% from July 2026. There were 1,305 active land listings,
with 112 new listings, down 27.7 % from last month, resulting in a 21.4 -month supply of inventory
for July 2026.
Commercial: There were four active commercial properties listed in the High-Country Multiple
Listings Service during August 2026, with five commercial sales during the month
of August 2026 totaling $ 2.2 million.

Alleghany County: Alleghany had fourteen closed sales in August 2026, decreased by 6.7
% for the month. The county’s median sales price for August 2026 was $424,000, a 24.7 % increase
compared to July 2026, with ninety-nine active residential listings, a 1.0 % decrease from July
2026. Additionally, there were five land closings for the month with a median sales price of
$175,000, down 21.7% from last month, along with 231 active land listings and thirteen new
listings. Leaving 46.2 % month's supply of inventory for land.

Ashe County: There were thirty closed residential sales in August 2026, down 41.2% from July 2026.
The county’s median sales price is $404,500, up 7.9% from last month. In addition, there were 233
active residential properties, including sixty- four new listings, reflecting a 16.4 % increase from
July 2026. The county closed with twelve land sales, with a median sale price of $127,500, up a
significant amount of 255.2 % compared to last month. With 311 active listings and thirty- seven new
listings in August 2026, representing an increase of 5.7% compared to last month, there is a
25.9–month supply of inventory for land.

Avery County: Avery County closed with fifty- two residential properties for August 2026, with a
median sales price of $ 446,250 for the month, down 2.0% compared to July 2026. In addition, there
were 368 active residential properties in inventory, with seventy-one new listings compared to last
month. In addition, Avery County closed twenty- two land sales in the month of August 2026, with a
median sales price of $227,500, a substantial increase of 102.2% compared to last month.
Furthermore, there are 311 active listings, with nineteen new listings, resulting in a 14.1-month
supply of land inventory.

Watauga County: Watauga County reported ninety-five closed residential sales in the month of August
2026, with a decrease of 1.0 % from the prior month. Median sales were
$557,000; down 15.3% compared to July 2026. There were 522 active residential properties in
inventory, along with 135 new listings in August 2026, down 4.3% compared to last month. There were
twenty- two closed land sales for Watauga County with a median sales price of $ 46,000, down 66.5 %
for August 2026, with 452 active land listings and forty-
three new land listings in August 2026, creating a 20.5-month supply of land inventory.

Disclaimer: Figures are based on the High-Country Multiple Listing Service information. Data is for informational purposes only and may not be accurate due to MLS reporting processes. This data reflects a specific point in time and cannot be used in perpetuity due to the fluctuating nature of markets.

Report graphics generated from Domus Analytics pulled from the HCAR Web API feed. HCAR Realtor® members can access these detailed and customizable reports and graphics for professional use by logging into the HCAR dashboard. A public graphic is available on our website homepage at highcountryrealtors.org.