October 2026- MLS Report
The High–Country Real Estate Market, which includes Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga counties, had 198 closed sales of single-family properties, including condo/townhouse properties, in October 2026, with a combined closing total of $142.0 million. The median sales price of $517,000 included all four counties for October 2026.
Nationally:
According to The National Association of REALTORS ® pending home sales in September decreased by 7.3% month- over-month and 11.3% year-over- year with pending homes sales declined in all four major U.S. regions with West being the largest decrease, followed by the South, Midwest and Northeast. “Due to weakened market conditions in September to fast- rising mortgage rates,” said NAR Chief Economist Dr. Lawrence Yun.
Although, we know that job growth and income gains can support home purchases, housing affordability is more affected by changes in mortgage rates. “Yet, despite the difficulty of obtaining a mortgage, the restricted number of distressed properties is ensuring steady home prices,” Yun added. “Given that mortgage rates have already risen much more than the Federal Reserve’s short- term interest rate hikes, mortgage rates may be topping out,” Yun said. Yet Buyers and sellers may simply be holding off until mortgage rates begin moving in a more favorably direction.
https://www.nar.realtor/newsroom/pending-home-sales-decreased-7-3-percent-in-september
Inventory: In October 2026, Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga Counties had 1,183 active single-family and condo/ townhouse listings, down 5.9% compared to September 2026, following an additional 234 new listings, down 16.4 %, with a 6.0 month’s supply of inventory for October 2026.
Land: Alleghany, Ashe, Avery, and Watauga closed with seventy-three land sales in October 2026, with a median sales price of $87,000, down 3.1 % from September 2026. There were 1,317 active land listings, with 135 new listings, decreased by 11.2 % from last month, resulting in an 18.0 -month supply of inventory for October 2026.
Commercial: There were five active commercial properties listed in the High-Country Multiple Listings Service during October 2026, with three closed commercial sales during the month of October 2026 totaling $1.2 million.
Alleghany County: Alleghany had nineteen closed sales in October 2026, no increase or decrease at 0.0 % for the month. The county’s median sales price for October 2026 was $330,000, a 14.1 % decrease compared to September 2026, with 104 active residential listings, a 2.0 % increase from September 2026. Additionally, there were eleven land closings for the month with a median sales price of $69,000, down 49.8 % from last month, along with 239 active land listings and fourteen new listings. Leaving 21.7 % month's supply of inventory for land.
Ashe County: There were forty-six closed residential sales in October 2026, up 21.1% from September 2026. The county’s median sales price is $470,000, down 3.8 % from last month. In addition, there were 231 active residential properties, including fifty- five new listings, reflecting a 7.8 % increase from September 2026. The county closed with twenty land sales, with a median sale price of $54,950, down 8.0 % compared to last month. With 323 active listings and fifty- nine new listings in October 2026, representing a significant increase of 55.3 % compared to last month, there is a 16.1 –month supply of inventory for land.
Avery County: Avery County closed with fifty- seven residential properties in October 2026, with a median sales price of $ 510,000, up for the month, up 6.8% compared to September 2026. In addition, there were 333 active residential properties in inventory, with forty-four new listings compared to last month. In addition, Avery County closed with eighteen land sales in the month of October 2026, with a median sales price of $88,500, reflecting a substantial decrease of 56.7 % compared to last month. Furthermore, there are 336 active listings, with thirty-six new listings, resulting in a 18.7 -month supply of land inventory.
Watauga County: Watauga County reported seventy-six closed residential sales in the month of October 2026, with a decrease of 20.0 % from the prior month. Median sales were $635,000, up 6.7% compared to September 2026. There were 515 active residential properties in inventory, along with 107 new listings in October 2026, down 15.7 % compared to last month. There were twenty-four closed land sales for Watauga County with a median sales price of $ 107,500, up 20.1 % for October 2026, with 419 active land listings and twenty-six new land listings in October 2026, creating a 17.5 -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.