Real Estate Market Update
$2,306,980Current Average List Price (+15.7%) | 344Number of Active Listings (up from 292) | 106New Listings in March Avg. List Price of $2,018,699 (+38%) |
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Pending Sales
72 at an average list price of $1,954,808 (+22%)
Closed Sales for March
35 at an average closed price of $1,758,203 (+21%)
Type of Market
Balanced Market with a 6.19 month supply
The Last 12 Months
667 closed sales at an avg. price of $1,602,667
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See every property Mountain Life Properties currently has on the market across the Highlands-Cashiers Plateau.
YTD Market Evolution Since 2020
Year-to-Date | Average Sale Price | DOM | # Sold |
2020 | $672,390 | 251 | 135 |
2021 | $846,034 | 170 | 206 |
2022 | $962,241 | 126 | 155 |
2023 | $1,118,527 | 141 | 101 |
2024 | $1,308,020 | 126 | 119 |
2025 | $1,631,883 | 139 | 92 |
2026 | $1,654,333 | 117 | 108 |
Average sale prices have risen ~146% since 2020, placing Highlands-Cashiers among the top-performing resort markets. After a sharp dip in 2023, transaction volume is now recovering as buyers adjust to the new price reality.
Highlands & Cashiers Real Estate Market Report: Spring 2026
A Market Finding Its Balance, With Strength at the Top
As we enter the spring selling season, the Highlands and Cashiers market is stabilizing at elevated prices, with rising inventory reshaping negotiations. This is no longer the post-COVID frenzy, but it's not a downturn. Instead, we're seeing healthy normalization: strong luxury demand alongside more homes hitting the market. Buyers now have more options than at any point in the past three years, while sellers must focus on strategic pricing, presentation, and professional marketing.
Inventory Is Rising, But Demand Is Holding
The most notable shift in Q1 2026 is rising inventory, with active listings increasing from 292 in March 2025 to 344 in March 2026. New listings surged as well, with 106 properties entering the market in March, up 38% YoY. Despite this growth, demand remains strong. Pending sales reached 72 (up from 59), and closed sales rose to 35 (from 29). Buyers are still active; they simply have more choices.
At 6.19 months, supply is at the line between a seller's and balanced market: no longer 2025's seller dominance, but not a buyer's market. Sellers hold power; buyers have more flexibility. See what Mountain Life Properties has on the market across Highlands and Cashiers Plateau right now.
Prices Remain Elevated, By Any Historical Measure
Rising inventory has not lowered prices. Average list prices exceed $2.3M and remain steady, while the 12-month average closed price sits at $1,602,667, signaling a lasting shift to a higher price tier. Compared to 2022, the Highlands-Cashiers market has seen average sale prices increase by approximately 193%, reflecting a fundamental market repricing driven by migration, lifestyle demand, and land scarcity.
Communities | Sold YTD 2026 | Avg. Sold Price YTD 2026 | Sold 2025 | Avg. Sold Price 2025 | New/Active Listings | Avg. List Price | In Due Diligence | Avg. List Price for In DD | Pending | Avg. List Price for Pending |
3 | $2,866,667 | 0 | N/A | 3 | $3,466,667 | 0 | N/A | 1 | $2,850,000 | |
Big Sheepcliff | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 4 | $4,007,250 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
Golf Club Estates | 1 | $2,404,000 | 1 | $1,860,000 | 1 | $1,550,000 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
Town of Highlands/Bear Pen/Bowery | 7 | $3,231,643 | 6 | $2,926,293 | 24 | $2,845,125 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
1 | $1,450,000 | 3 | $1,231,667 | 3 | $2,129,833 | 2 | $3,700,000 | 1 | $2,999,000 | |
Highlands Cove (& The Cottages) | 0 | N/A | 2 | $2,592,000 | 3 | $4,281,667 | 0 | N/A | 1 | $3,595,000 |
Lake Glenville Area | 4 | $1,820,000 | 2 | $782,500 | 18 | $2,028,494 | 0 | N/A | 1 | $895,000 |
Ravenel (& Ravenel Ridge) | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 4 | $5,411,250 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
3 | $2,094,093 | 0 | N/A | 3 | $930,000 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | |
Wildwood Forest | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 1 | $1,075,000 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
Wildwood Mountain | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 1 | $625,000 |
Satulah Ridge | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 1 | $795,000 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
Sunset Hills | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A | 3 | $1,958,000 | 0 | N/A | 0 | N/A |
SOLD
464 Franklin Road, Highlands, NC 28741
Sold for $1,200,000 | 3BD | 3BA | ±0.40 Acres
Listing Agent: John Sheehan, 404-790-9716
Thinking about selling? Find out what your home is worth today.
What This Means: Guidance For Buyers And Sellers
The market is clearly bifurcated, with both new listings and pending sales averaging over $2M and activity concentrated at the top. Luxury buyers from major metros continue to drive demand for turnkey and club community homes, largely insulated from mortgage rate sensitivity.
You remain in a strong pricing environment, with list prices above $2.3M and a 12-month average sale price over $1.6M confirming it. But the rules have shifted: competition is rising, and buyers have more choice.
Well-positioned, turnkey homes are selling in about 117 days; others are sitting. A 15-18% gap between list and contract price highlights where the market is truly transacting.
This is the most favorable market for buyers since 2021, with more options and real negotiating room, especially on homes with extended days on market.
However, premium properties (club communities, view homes, and turnkey finishes) still command strong prices and move quickly. This window of balance may narrow as summer demand builds. Have questions about a specific property or community? Talk to our team.
The Bottom Line
The Highlands and Cashiers market is entering a more sophisticated phase: stable at high price levels, growing in inventory, and consistent in luxury demand. The post-COVID era of any-price-wins is over. What replaces it is a professional's market, one where experience, pricing strategy, and marketing execution separate outcomes.
The underlying story that has driven this market (migration from Florida and coastal metro markets, the draw of cool mountain summers, constrained land supply, and the premium placed on the best of both worlds) is far from over. It is simply maturing. Catch up on past Highlands and Cashiers market reports.
Thinking about selling? Find out what your home is worth today.
Ready to buy? Browse our homes for sale in Highlands and Cashiers.
