Photo: Orygun · CC BY-SA 3.060 homes sold in Altavista in the last year, at a typical $185K
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 Altavista homes are listed.
Every place Altavista 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 Altavista.
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 Altavista’s sales, at a typical $185K
60 homes sold in the year to May 2026.
typical sale · 60 sold in 12 months
- Per square foot
- $143VA $222
- Days to sell
- 36
- Sold over asking
- 23%
- Listings with a price cut
- 27%
More homes sell than most years, at 1.6 times the 2016 price
60 sales in the last year, against 57 in 2022 and a low of 23 in 2017. The typical sale went from $114K in 2016 to $185K.
Source: Redfin Data Center, MLS sales. Typical price and $/sq ft are the monthly medians, weighted by sales.
What $200K buys in Altavista
Check a listing against what Altavista 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 Altavista are more common than before the pandemic, but a quarter fewer homes come up for sale
We read every month of Altavista’s home sales since 2014 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, 60 sales.
If you’re buying in Altavista
- Shop in June. It brings about 5 new listings a month, close to the busiest month, with fewer bidding wars (27% over asking).
- Bid near asking. Buyers paid 99.2% of the list price on average; 23% paid over.
- You’ll usually have time. Only 26% of homes go under contract within two weeks; the typical one takes 36 days.
Spring brings the homes; summer brings the bidding wars
May has the most new listings (about 5 a month), but July is the most competitive: 43% of July sales close over asking. June offers nearly as much choice with fewer homes bid up (27%). February has the least competition (14%).
Averages for each calendar month, 2015 on.
Calmer than the 2021 frenzy, and calmer than Virginia
| Altavista now | 2017–19 | 2021 peak | VA now | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sold over askingShare of sales that closed above the list price | 23% | 12% | 42% | 31% |
| Gone within two weeksShare of homes under contract within 14 days | 26% | 1% | 0% | 43% |
| Listings with a price cutShare of homes for sale that cut their price | 27% | — | — | 25% |
| Price paid vs. askingAverage sale price ÷ list price | 99.2% | 95% | 99.4% | 99.3% |
| Days to sellMedian days from listing to contract | 36 | 192 | 239 | 38 |
10 homes for sale on a typical day
That’s twice the 2023 low (5), 24% fewer than in 2017–19 and well under 2015’s 25.
1 in 4 listings has cut its price
27% in the last year, against — in 2017–19 and 25% across Virginia.
Altavista ranks 152nd of 179 busy Virginia markets for bidding wars
Share of sales over asking in the last year, among towns with 60 or more sales. Altavista is one of the state’s calmer markets.
Source: Redfin Data Center, city market tracker, January 2014 to May 2026 (MLS sales, not seasonally adjusted). Ratios are weighted by homes sold; price cuts by homes for sale.
Owning the typical Altavista home costs about $1,053 a month
Price: Altavista’s typical sale, last 12 months. Property tax at Altavista’s 0.6% (median bill ÷ median value, Census ACS); insurance at 0.35% of price a year. Before PMI, HOA dues, upkeep and the tax deduction. Whether Altavista 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 2.
Best time to buyProperty tax, a year
Of a home’s value: the median bill over the median home value. On a $185K home, about $1,050 a year.
Taxes vs. neighborsSchools
The schools grade for Altavista, from test results, graduation and how much students grow.
Schools in AltavistaTypical commute
The average one-way trip to work for people who live in Altavista.
Work & commuteCheck 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.
No busy market nearby sells for less a square foot; North Shore and Penhook for far more
The busier markets within 25 miles of Altavista, 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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lynchburg | 1,170 | $273K | $159 | 25% | 28 |
| Forest | 220 | $381K | $175 | 21% | 27 |
| Timberlake | 173 | $299K | $169 | 27% | 29 |
| North Shore | 130 | $683K | $335 | 8% | 47 |
| Bedford | 100 | $290K | $163 | 19% | 45 |
| Altavista | 60 | $185K | $143 | 23% | 36 |
| Penhook | 31 | $1.5M | $366 | 19% | 81 |
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 Altavista, free
Selling it yourself, renting out an apartment or looking for a roommate? Post it to Altavista. People who follow the town see it, and so do people comparing Altavista with their own town. No commission, no listing fee.
Questions about buying a home in Altavista
What do homes sell for in Altavista, VA?
60 homes sold in the year to May 2026 at a typical $185K, $143 a square foot.
Is Altavista a buyer’s or seller’s market?
A seller’s market: 6 homes were for sale in May 2026 and 5 sold, about 1.2 months of supply. Buyers paid 99.2% of asking on average, and 27% of listings cut their price.
When is the best time to buy in Altavista?
May brings the most new listings. The sales history shows which months have fewer bidding wars.
How much are property taxes in Altavista?
About 0.6% of a home’s value a year. On a $185K home that’s near $1,050.
Where can I see homes for sale in Altavista?
Zillow, Redfin, Realtor.com and Homes.com all carry Altavista’s MLS listings; the search links above open each one filtered to Altavista.
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).