Published October 8, 2026 in Market Update

Builders Paid Money Back on 88.2% of New Home Sales in Richmond County

By Jasmin Bradley

Real estate, Richmond County Market Update

New or older: which would you choose? I pulled every listing in Richmond County through October 7, 2026, and one number stopped me cold.

New home or older home: which deal is actually better?

Builders paid money back on 314 of 356 new homes. That is 88.2% of new home sales, and the typical amount was $7,000. That is not a small thing. On a new build, you are walking in knowing a check is almost certainly coming back to you at closing.

Older homes told a different story. Sellers paid money back on 60% of those sales, and the typical amount was $6,714. Still real money, still more than half the time. But the gap between 88.2% and 60% is wide enough to change how you negotiate.

Here is the thing a lot of buyers miss. ==The money back does not mean the new home costs less. It means the builder is covering part of your closing costs or buying down your rate, which matters a lot when the 30-year fixed averaged 7.28% as of October 1, 2026 (Freddie Mac's weekly rate survey).== At that rate, every dollar back at closing does real work.

Older homes take longer to sell. The typical older home sat on the market 39 days. Right now, 53.3% of the 760 homes for sale in Richmond County have already dropped their price, with a typical cut of $12,500. That is a different kind of money back, and it happens before you even make an offer.

What this means for you right now

If you are selling an older home, pay attention to the 53.3% of current listings that have already cut their price. The typical cut is $12,500. Homes that priced right from the start sold for 100% of their last asking price in the $150K to $250K range. Homes that sat and waited gave up ground, sometimes a lot of it. A home on Heard Avenue sat 336 days and sold for $194,150 after starting at $260,000. A similar-sized home on Blackberry Lane was priced at $229,900, sold in 9 days, and closed at $245,000. Same neighborhood. Very different outcomes.

If you are buying, the money-back picture is real but it is not automatic. On new homes, 88.2% of buyers got something back, but you still have to ask for it and structure it right. On older homes, 60% of buyers got money back, and another layer of savings sits in the 53.3% of active listings that have already cut their price. Nationally, homes for sale hit 1.62 million units in August 2026, the most since November 2019 (National Association of Realtors), which means buyers have more options than they have had in years. More options means more room to negotiate.