Photo: Burnsidegen · CC BY-SA 3.024 homes sold in Stem in the last year, at a typical $340K
Almost every sale is a house. Below: what each kind of home sells for, what your budget buys, the best months to buy, how hard you’ll have to bid, and a shortcut to every site where Stem homes are listed.
Every place Stem homes are listed, in one stop
We don’t copy listings: the agents’ sites have the photos and the latest price changes. Set what you want once and we open each site already filtered to Stem.
For sale
Rent
New, land & open houses
Links open the listing sites; TownRatings isn’t paid for them and doesn’t rank one above another. Rentals and government-owned homes come from sources outside the MLS.
Houses are 100% of Stem’s sales, at a typical $340K
24 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 24 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $196NC $207
- Days to sell
- 70
- Sold over asking
- 8%
- Listings with a price cut
- 24%
Fewer homes sell than a decade ago, at 2.4 times the 2016 price
24 sales in the last year, against 70 in 2016 and a low of 14 in 2012. The typical sale went from $142K in 2016 to $340K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $350K buys in Stem
Check a listing against what Stem homes sold for
Against the town’s median price per square foot over the last 12 months. A rough check: condition, lot and location within town move a price more than this can see.
Bidding wars in Stem are rarer than before the pandemic, and more homes are for sale
We read every month of Stem’s home sales since 2012 so you don’t have to. Each figure covers 12 months, because a single month in a town is too few sales to mean much. Latest: the year to May 2026, 24 sales.
If you’re buying in Stem
- Shop in March. It brings about 4 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (47% over asking).
- You can negotiate. 24% of listings have cut their price, against 17% before the pandemic.
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 98.4% of the list price on average; 8% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 9% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 70 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 4 a month), but August is the most competitive: 61% of August sales close over asking. March offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (47%). February has the least competition (22%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than North Carolina
| Stem now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | NC now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 8% | 48% | 83% | 17% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 9% | 30% | 36% | 30% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 24% | 17% | 50% | 27% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 98.4% | 100.2% | 105.1% | 97.8% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 70 | 73 | 34 | 62 |
9 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s 3.6 times the 2021 low (2), 54% more than in 2017–19 and well under 2014’s 24.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
24% in the last year, against 17% in 2017–19 and 27% across North Carolina. More sellers are pricing high and coming down.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2012 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Stem home costs about $2,034 a month
Price: Stem’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Stem’s 0.9% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Stem is affordable on local pay is on Cost of living.
Six things worth knowing
New listings in May
The month with the most choice. December has the fewest, about 1.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $340K home, about $3,120 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Stem, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in StemCheck the flood map
Flood insurance isn’t in a standard policy, and lenders require it in FEMA flood zones. Check the address before you make an offer.
Natural hazardsLook up any property
Assessed value, lot size and every past sale of a home you’re eyeing are public, at the town or county assessor and the registry of deeds.
Butner, Creedmoor, Oxford, Franklinton and Youngsville sell for less a square foot
The busier markets within 25 miles of Stem, by what sold. Prices, taxes and how far a paycheck goes next door are on Cost of living.
| Sold | Typical sale | $/sq ft | Over asking | Days to sell | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Durham | 3,198 | $423K | $231 | 21% | 44 |
| Oxford | 105 | $261K | $173 | 18% | 72 |
| Creedmoor | 73 | $331K | $182 | 18% | 58 |
| Franklinton | 66 | $287K | $189 | 12% | 56 |
| Youngsville | 52 | $433K | $189 | 8% | 83 |
| Butner | 47 | $298K | $189 | 26% | 35 |
| Stem | 24 | $340K | $196 | 8% | 70 |
Redfin Data Center, June 2025 to May 2026. Towns with fewer than 20 sales are left out, and Redfin doesn’t report every town separately.
Post your home to Stem, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Stem. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Stem with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Stem
What do homes sell for in Stem, NC?
24 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $340K, $196 a square foot.
Is Stem a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 5 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 4 sold, about 1.3 months of supply. Buyers paid 98.4% of asking on average, and 24% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Stem?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Stem?
About 0.9% of a home’s value a year. On a $340K home that’s near $3,120.
Where can I see homes for sale in Stem?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Stem’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Stem.
Sales, prices, days on market and listings: Redfin Data Center (MLS, monthly, not seasonally adjusted). Property tax rate: Census American Community Survey. Two-bedroom rent: HUD Fair Market Rent. Typical home value: Zillow Home Value Index. Schools grade: TownRatings (how grades work).