Many sellers assume they have to wait for “spring market” to get the best price, but current Coastal Carolinas data tells a different story for late February 2026. Buyer activity is already heating up while inventory is only slowly rebuilding, creating a window where motivated buyers face less competition from other listings. In the Coastal Carolinas region, pending sales over the last 12 months are up 1.5%, but overall median price has softened slightly to 327,000, giving budget-conscious buyers a reason to act now instead of waiting. At the same time, sellers are still capturing about 97% of their list price on single-family homes, which is close to full asking in a more balanced market. For Myrtle Beach–area sellers eyeing a closing in late February, this combination of rising demand, improving affordability, and manageable competition can quietly tilt the timeline in their favor.
The February Closing Advantage in Myrtle Beach
Across the Coastal Carolinas Association of REALTORS region, new single-family listings in January 2026 rose 4.5% year over year, while pending sales jumped a stronger 13.3%. That gap shows buyers are absorbing new inventory quickly, and many of those contracts will target late February and March closings—exactly the window you’re planning around. Condo new listings also increased 6.4% year over year, but condo closed sales in January were still down 15%, signaling more negotiation room for well‑priced properties that show well before spring crowds arrive.
Inventory has technically grown, yet it remains in a “balanced to lean” range for sellers. Single-family months’ supply is at 3.9 months, slightly below the 4.3‑month average for the past year, while condo supply is higher at 7.4 months. For Myrtle Beach and greater Horry County, that means detached homes that hit the market in late winter and are positioned correctly can still feel like a low‑competition product, especially in the 350,001 to 500,000 price bracket that saw some of the quickest days on market at around 120 days over the last year. With the 12‑month median single‑family price sitting at 365,000, roughly 1.4% higher than the prior year, sellers can benefit from recent appreciation without needing to overreach on price.
Another quiet advantage is affordability. The Housing Affordability Index for single‑family homes in the region climbed from 77 to 85 year over year this January, a 10.4% improvement. That tells you more buyers now qualify for the median‑priced home than a year ago, especially as rates drifted lower in late 2025 and early 2026. When affordability improves at the same time inventory remains moderate, buyers who have been sitting on the sidelines often come back in waves—many of them targeting early‑year closing dates before their leases renew or before spring travel picks up in Myrtle Beach. Sellers who are active, show‑ready, and under contract by early February are the listings those buyers actually compete over.
Showings Data: Where Demand Is Already Surging
Showing traffic is one of the cleanest signals of real-time demand, and January 2026 activity across the Grand Strand shows buyers are already highly engaged before spring officially arrives. Myrtle Beach itself recorded 6,848 showings in January with an average buyer‑interest ratio of 2.3 showings per managed listing, up solidly year over year. Nearby Surfside Beach saw 650 showings with buyer interest around 2.5, while Murrells Inlet and Pawleys Island posted even stronger ratios, at 2.8 and 2.9 showings per listing respectively.
Those numbers matter for sellers aiming for a February closing because showings and pending contracts typically lag each other by just a few weeks. Region‑wide, the median number of showings before a property goes pending has held at about seven, and 2025 data shows peak monthly showings in late winter—February—across the Coastal Carolinas. If your home is live on the market in late January or early February, you are directly in the slipstream of that heightened traffic at a moment when some competing sellers are still “waiting for spring.”
Overlay that with the 2025 annual total of 194,308 showings in the Coastal Carolinas and a steady median of about seven showings before contract, and it becomes clear that serious buyers are not waiting for April or May. They are booking tours now, especially in Horry County submarkets like Carolina Forest, Conway, and Murrells Inlet, which all saw strong annual showing counts and above‑average showings per listing. For a Myrtle Beach seller, front‑loading your listing prep so you can capture those February appointments can mean fewer days on market and less pressure to discount later.
The Pricing and Negotiation Edge Most Sellers Overlook
Late‑February closings often reflect listings that went under contract when competition was manageable and pricing was realistic, not inflated for “spring.” NAR’s national 2025 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers shows that the median seller still receives about 99% of their final list price, and homes that sell within the first two weeks typically achieve 100% of asking. Locally, Coastal Carolinas single‑family sellers averaged roughly 97.3% of list price received over the last 12 months, while condo sellers averaged about 96%.
In practice, that means the real “advantage” is not squeezing out an extra one or two percent by timing a hot weekend—it’s avoiding the slow‑burn price reductions that come with sitting on the market. National data shows that the longer a home sits, the higher the likelihood of multiple price cuts and the greater the discount at closing, especially beyond eight weeks on the market. In 2025, 73% of sellers offered no incentives at all, and only about 11% contributed to closing costs, which indicates that well‑priced, well‑marketed homes are still selling on strong terms without heavy concessions.
February also gives sellers more leverage in structuring the deal. With fewer listings on the market than in late spring or summer, buyers who need to be in Myrtle Beach by early tourist season often prioritize clean offers and flexible closing dates to secure the right home. NAR data for 2025 shows sellers still rank “selling within a specific timeframe” and “pricing competitively” among their top priorities—and late‑winter contracts are where those two goals often overlap best.
How to Maximize a February Closing in the Grand Strand
To actually capture the February closing advantage around Myrtle Beach, execution matters more than the calendar date. First, align your list‑date backward from your ideal closing; with a typical 30‑ to 45‑day escrow, listings that go live in late January or the first days of February are best positioned for late‑month closings. Pair that with data‑driven pricing: Coastal Carolinas’ 12‑month median single‑family price of 365,000 and condo median around the high‑230s provide a solid anchor for setting expectations in most Grand Strand neighborhoods.
Second, treat February like a spotlight month for presentation. Coastal Carolinas sellers in 2025 who did at least minor repairs or cosmetic updates before listing—over half of all sellers—reported smoother sales and less time on market. With days on market for single‑family homes still averaging around 123 over the last 12 months, shaving even a few weeks off by hitting the market in peak showing season can meaningfully reduce carrying costs. That’s especially true if you’re also buying locally, since Horry County’s median prices have climbed more than 30% since 2021, making every month of delay more expensive on the buy side.
Finally, lean into professional marketing tailored to Myrtle Beach and the broader Grand Strand. In 2025, 91% of sellers nationwide used an agent, and agent‑assisted sales achieved a median price of 425,000—well above the 360,000 median for FSBOs. Agents in the region are heavily leveraging MLS exposure, professional photography, and online portals to convert winter showing traffic into spring‑ready closings. When you combine that with smart pricing and a late‑January launch, a February closing stops being a lucky outcome and becomes a deliberate strategy.
Carolina Crafted Homes stays current on Myrtle Beach market trends and can answer questions about the February closing advantage for sellers. Reach out anytime for guidance—no pressure, just straightforward expertise.
FAQs
Q1: Why can February be a smart month to close on a Myrtle Beach home sale?
February often reflects contracts written in late January when buyer demand is rising but listing competition is still moderate. Coastal Carolinas data shows pending sales up 1.5% over the past 12 months, while months’ supply on single‑family homes sits near 3.9, a range that continues to favor well‑priced listings. With more buyers qualifying as affordability improves—seen in the jump in the Housing Affordability Index from 77 to 85 year over year—late‑winter closings can capture serious buyers before the full spring listing wave.
Q2: How strong is buyer activity around Myrtle Beach before spring officially starts?
Showings data for January 2026 indicates buyers are already active across the Grand Strand. Myrtle Beach recorded 6,848 showings with a buyer‑interest ratio of about 2.3 showings per listing, while nearby Surfside Beach and Murrells Inlet posted even higher interest ratios. The 2025 annual report recorded 194,308 total showings in the Coastal Carolinas and peak showing activity in February, confirming that motivated buyers are not waiting for April or May.
Q3: Will I have to discount heavily if I close in February instead of waiting for April?
Current numbers suggest you do not. Over the last 12 months, Coastal Carolinas single‑family sellers received about 97.3% of list price on average, and condos around 96%. NAR’s 2025 national data shows that homes selling within the first two weeks of listing achieve close to 100% of asking price, while longer‑sitting listings tend to require price reductions. A February closing that comes from a well‑timed January listing can therefore protect your price as well as, or better than, a later spring sale.
Q4: How does inventory in early 2026 affect my leverage as a seller?
Inventory has increased modestly, but not enough to erase seller leverage, especially for single‑family homes. In January 2026, single‑family inventory was up only 0.3% year over year with 3.9 months’ supply, while condos had a higher 7.4‑month supply. That dynamic means detached homes that are priced correctly and brought to market ahead of the main spring wave can still attract multiple interested buyers and negotiate fewer concessions.
Q5: What should I focus on to make the most of a February closing opportunity?
Start by reverse‑engineering your target closing date; if you want to close in late February, listing in late January or the first week of February is often ideal given typical 30‑ to 45‑day escrows. Use local metrics—such as the 365,000 rolling median single‑family price and current days‑on‑market trends—to anchor a competitive price instead of overreaching for “spring premiums.” Finally, invest in presentation and broad digital exposure; 91% of sellers nationally used an agent in 2025, and agent‑assisted sales outperformed FSBOs by roughly 65,000 on median price.
