January 2026 Market Recap: 30A West Opens the Year Firmly in Buyer Territory
Published February 2026 — Data through January 2026
If 30A East felt nuanced, 30A West felt… decisively buyer-leaning.
January delivered fewer closings than December (expected), a surge in pending contracts, and one very clear headline: 14.7 months of inventory. That’s not neutral. That’s leverage.
But here’s the twist — pricing didn’t fall apart.
Let’s break it down.
📉 Buyer’s Market — By a Wide Margin
January registered as a buyer’s market, with:
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14.7 months of inventory (closed sales)
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Down 12.5% year-over-year
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Up 86% month-over-month
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8.3 months of inventory (pended sales)
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Down 50.7% year-over-year
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Down 35.2% month-over-month
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Anything above six months signals buyer leverage. At 14.7, that leverage is meaningful — even though year-over-year inventory is improving.
Translation: buyers have options.
🏡 Sales Activity: Reset After December
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22 homes sold
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Up 4.8% year-over-year
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Down 47.6% month-over-month (December was elevated)
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39 homes went under contract
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Up 50% from last month
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Up 85.7% year-over-year
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Closings cooled after December’s push, but pending contracts surged. That’s not slowdown energy — that’s momentum building quietly.
💰 Pricing: Stronger Than You’d Expect
This is where West surprises people.
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Average Sold Price: $1,976,000
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Up 14.3% month-over-month
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Up 32.4% year-over-year
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Median Sold Price: $1,245,000
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Up 0.6% from last month
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Up 8.3% year-over-year
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Price per Square Foot: $665
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Down 3.3% month-over-month
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Up 21.1% year-over-year
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Six-month trends show:
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Average price = Neutral
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Median price = Appreciating
So even with heavy inventory, pricing is not collapsing. That’s important.
⏳ Days on Market & Negotiation
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Average Days on Market: 120
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Down 13.7% from December
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Up 3.4% year-over-year
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Sold-to-Original List Price Ratio: 92%
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Up 1.1% month-over-month
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Up 5.7% year-over-year
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Homes are taking longer than last year overall, but sellers are conceding less than they were. Buyers are negotiating — just not steamrolling.
📊 Absorption: Improving Year-Over-Year
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Absorption (closed sales): 6.8%
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Up 13.4% year-over-year
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Down 46.6% month-over-month
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Absorption (pended sales): 12%
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Up 100.6% year-over-year
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Up 53.6% month-over-month
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Closed absorption reflects buyer control, but pending absorption tells a more optimistic story about forward activity.
🔑 The Takeaway
30A West is clearly a buyer’s market to start 2026, with high months of inventory and strong negotiating room.
But pricing metrics — especially year-over-year — are holding firm. That’s the nuance.
For buyers: you have leverage, selection, and negotiation power.
For sellers: pricing and positioning matter more than ever, but quality inventory is still moving.
This isn’t a panic market. It’s a strategic one.
🏠 Thinking About the West End?
Whether you’re eyeing Dune Allen, Blue Mountain, or Grayton, timing and pricing strategy matter more here than almost anywhere else on 30A right now.
📞 850-517-6170
📧 [email protected]
🌐 www.30alifestyleagent.com
