Is 2026 a good year to sell a house in Lexington, SC?

July 2026 CMLS Area 11 data says well-priced homes are still selling: 184 closings, median $331,060 (up 6.5%), 30 days on market, and 98.7% of list price. Higher inventory (491 homes, up 21.2%) means you cannot list at a 2022 peak number and wait.

What was the median home price in Lexington Area 11 in July 2026?

The July 2026 CMLS Area 11 median closed price was $331,060, up 6.5%. Year-to-date through July, the median was $312,500 across 1,250 closings.

How long does it take to sell a home in Lexington, SC right now?

July 2026 CMLS Area 11 median days on market was 30. Homes priced to current comps in the first week still move. Homes priced to last year's hopes sit.

Should I wait for more inventory to come down before I sell?

Inventory in Area 11 was 491 homes in July 2026, up 21.2%. That gives buyers more choices, but it has not collapsed sale prices — the median is still up 6.5%. Waiting for “less competition” is a bet against a market that is already functioning. Price correctly and launch with a real marketing plan instead.

October 17, 2026 · Joseph Michel

How Did a Lake Murray Waterfront Home in Chapin Go Under Contract in 13 Days in 2026?

145 Bay Pointe Drive in Timberlake listed September 28 at $1,150,000 and went under contract in 13 days, while Lake Murray homes averaged 58 days on market. Here's what pricing, prep and marketing did, and what it means for Chapin waterfront sellers…

Lake Murray homes on the Irmo and Chapin side took a median of 58 days to sell in September 2026, up from 48 a year ago, and the number of lake homes for sale jumped 40% to 49, according to Consolidated MLS (CMLS) data published by Hubrec. Across the whole 29036 ZIP code, Redfin shows 43.6% of homes cut their price over the last three months.

That's the market our team listed 145 Bay Pointe Drive into on September 28 at $1,150,000. Thirteen days later, it was under contract.

I'm Joe Michel, a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Realty on the Patrick O'Connor Team, the #1 Coldwell Banker team in South Carolina. Here's what made this Timberlake home move in a slow waterfront market, and what any Lake Murray seller can take from it.

What kind of home is 145 Bay Pointe Drive?

It's a 2001 home in Chapin's Timberlake community, built around Timberlake Country Club and its 18-hole course on the shores of Lake Murray. The house has four bedrooms, three and a half baths and 3,313 square feet, with the owner's suite on the main level, a loft for an office, and a bonus room over the garage.

The real draw is outside. Big-water views, an oversized back deck with separate grilling areas, a swimming pool with a large pool deck, green space down to the water, and a private dock with a boat lift. Out front, a circular drive and brickwork face a natural park area, so there's privacy on both sides. The sellers had also kept it up, with a new roof in 2018 and about $30,000 in energy-efficient windows.

After years of ownership, it was simply time for the sellers' next chapter. They didn't need a fire sale. They needed the right buyer to find the home fast.

Why are Lake Murray homes taking longer to sell right now?

Buyers have more to choose from and less urgency, and higher payments make them slower to commit on big-ticket homes.

Here's the backdrop from CMLS via Hubrec for September 2026:

Lake Murray Irmo/Chapin: 8 sales, median $727,500 (up 9.4%), 49 active listings (up 40%), 58 days on market
Lake Murray Irmo/Chapin year to date: 75 sales (down 8.5%), median $732,500 (up 10.8%)
Chapin overall: 61 sales, median $385,000, 225 active listings (up 31.6%), 54 days on market (up from 39)

And from Redfin for 29036, three months ending September:

Median sale price: $427,542, up 0.8%
Sale-to-list ratio: 98.3%
Homes with a price drop: 43.6%
Average homes go pending in about 51 days; hot homes in about 20 days

So prices on the lake are holding up well, but buyers are taking their time. More inventory means a waterfront listing that launches flat can sit for two months while buyers wait to see if the price drops.

What did our team do differently to sell it?

We sold the Lake Murray lifestyle, not just a list of features. Three things drove it.

We led with what makes it different. Lots of Chapin homes have four bedrooms. Far fewer have big-water views, a pool and a private dock with a lift on one lot in Timberlake. Those features went first in the photos, the video and the description, instead of getting buried below the bedroom count.

We put video in front of real buyers. The team produced professional photography and a YouTube home tour, launched on a channel with more than 110,000 subscribers. A video tour lets an out-of-town buyer walk from the foyer to the deck to the dock before they ever book a flight. For a lake home, where so many buyers are relocating, that matters.

We went beyond the listing portals. Targeted digital ads and the team's social media platforms reached luxury buyers who aren't refreshing Zillow every morning, including people actively planning a move to Lake Murray.

Why does a 13-day contract matter at this price?

Because the stretch from day one to day 14 is when a listing gets the most attention, and it's the only time a home is truly new. Miss that window and buyers start asking what's wrong with it.

Thirteen days is also well ahead of every benchmark above. It's about a quarter of the 58-day median for Lake Murray Irmo/Chapin homes, and faster than the roughly 20 days Redfin says even "hot" homes in 29036 take to go pending.

The final sale price isn't public yet, so I'm not going to guess at it here.

What does a $1.15 million price mean for a buyer's payment?

At Freddie Mac's average 30-year rate of 7.40% (October 15, 2026), a buyer putting 20% down on $1,150,000 would pay about $6,370 a month in principal and interest. With 10% down, it's about $7,166. Taxes, insurance, HOA dues and any mortgage insurance come on top of that.

One caveat: a loan this size is a jumbo loan, and jumbo rates can run higher or lower than the conforming average. Either way, buyers at this level shop by monthly cost and lifestyle value, and the listing has to make the case for both.

What can Lake Murray sellers learn from 145 Bay Pointe Drive?

Lead with the water. On Lake Murray, the view, the dock and the lot often matter more than the floor plan. Put them in the first photo and the first sentence.
Get your dock paperwork ready. Docks fall under Dominion Energy shoreline rules. Have the permit details and the condition of the dock and lift ready before you list, so a buyer's due diligence doesn't stall.
Spell out what comes with the home. In Timberlake, there are several HOAs by section, and club membership and marina slips are separate from the house. Clear answers up front keep buyers from walking away confused.
Show it, don't just list it. Video tours reach relocating buyers who can't drop by on a Saturday.
Price for the market you're in, not last spring's. Lake prices are up, but inventory is up 40%. The homes that sell fast are the ones buyers see as a clear value on day one.

Should I wait until spring to sell my Lake Murray home?

Not necessarily. Fall and winter bring fewer buyers, but they're usually serious ones, and you're competing with fewer fresh listings. If your home is ready and priced right, there's no need to wait. If it needs work, use the off-season to get it done.

Frequently asked questions about selling on Lake Murray in 2026

How long does it take to sell a Lake Murray home in 2026? Lake Murray homes on the Irmo/Chapin side sold in a median of 58 days in September 2026, according to CMLS data published by Hubrec, up from 48 days a year earlier. 145 Bay Pointe Drive went under contract in 13 days.

What is the median price of a Lake Murray home in Chapin and Irmo? The September 2026 median was $727,500, up 9.4% year over year. The year-to-date median is $732,500, up 10.8%.

How many homes are for sale in Chapin right now? CMLS showed 225 active listings in Chapin in September 2026, up 31.6% from a year ago, with a median sale price of $385,000.

Did 145 Bay Pointe Drive sell for full price? It was listed at $1,150,000 on September 28, 2026 and went under contract 13 days later. The final sale price hasn't been published.

Is Timberlake a good place to own a Lake Murray home? Timberlake offers an 18-hole golf course on the lake, a clubhouse with a restaurant and bar, a pool, and tennis and pickleball courts. Homes range from interior and fairway lots to direct waterfront. Club membership is separate from the home.

What should I do before listing a home with a dock? Gather your Dominion Energy dock permit information, note the condition of the dock and boat lift, and confirm what's included with the sale.

Thinking about selling on Lake Murray?

If you're weighing a sale in Chapin, Timberlake or anywhere on the lake, call or text me at 803-553-6438. You can see the full 145 Bay Pointe Drive story and more results on the Patrick O'Connor Team recently sold page. For how the first two weeks can make or break a listing, read What Should Sellers Do in the First 14 Days on the Market in Lexington, SC in 2026?, and for another fast turnaround, see How Did a Lexington, SC Home Go Under Contract in 1 Day After 38 Days on the Market in 2026?.

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