Bluffton’s inventory is tightening

The Bluffton real estate market continues to be shaped less by a lack of buyer demand and more by homeowners unwilling to give up historically low interest rates. Many people would gladly pay more for a larger or better located property, but they are hesitant to also take on a mortgage rate that is more than double what they currently have. This reluctance to trade up is one of the biggest factors holding back the market today.

Inventory has dropped again this month. There are currently 755 homes for sale in Bluffton, down from 867 just last month. This is a sharp monthly decline and follows the pattern of the past couple of months, signaling that choices for buyers are becoming more limited. For perspective, inventory this time last year was 815, which means current levels are running about 7 percent lower than a year ago.

The average days on market rose notably to 84, up from 70 in August. This is a meaningful increase and suggests that even with less inventory, buyers are taking more time to commit. A year ago, homes were averaging just 54 days to sell, so the pace of transactions has slowed considerably over the past twelve months.

Pending sales remain solid despite these shifts. There are 135 homes under contract right now, compared to 141 last month. This is a healthy number given the recent drop in inventory, and it reflects a market where demand is holding. At this time last year, pending sales were at 191, so activity is somewhat softer but still strong relative to available inventory.

Closed sales year to date stand at 1,153, up from 988 last month. This trails the 1,319 closed sales we saw by this time in 2024, showing a 12.6 percent decline year over year. Even so, the number remains consistent with the slower pace expected in a higher interest rate environment.

Looking at absorption, Bluffton currently has 5.6 months of inventory based on the relationship between listings and pending sales. Last month the figure was 6.1 months. This improvement pushes the market slightly closer to balance, but it remains in neutral territory overall.

Prices tell another important part of the story. The median sales price so far in 2025 is $550,655. That is down 1.7 percent from $560,000 in 2024 but up from $540,000 in 2023, $491,790 in 2022, $391,983 in 2021, and $346,555 in 2020. The longer-term trend remains firmly upward, with home values in Bluffton growing by nearly 60 percent in just five years.

In summary, Bluffton is currently in a neutral market. Inventory is tightening, days on market are extending, and pending sales are holding steady, creating a balanced environment where neither buyers nor sellers have a decisive edge. For the market to break out of this holding pattern, hopes of a mortgage rate pull back will need to materialize.

Dan Prud’homme is the Visionary & Success Coach of The Prudhomme Team at William Raveis Real Estate. dan@danprudhomme.com, www.theprudhommeteam.com