Hilton Head Island, South Carolina | August 2026Forest Beach Real Estate Market Update: August 2026Forest Beach condos and villas recorded more closed sales through August than a year earlier,
Palmetto Dunes, Hilton Head Island | August 2026
Palmetto Dunes Real Estate Market Update: August 2026
What the latest detached-home and condo/villa numbers tell property owners about sales, prices, inventory and the time it takes to sell.
Quick-read market takeaway
Read the sales count before the headline price
The August detached-home median of $4,975,000 came from only two closings. The January-through-August median was $1,980,750 across 36 sales. That broader sample gives owners more context than the monthly headline alone.
The Palmetto Dunes condo and villa market tells a different year-to-date story: 98 closings versus 94 last year, with a $749,450 median versus $755,000. Both property types had lower August inventory than a year earlier, while their year-to-date days on market increased.
Detached homes only
A small August sample, with a more measured year-to-date price change
Palmetto Dunes recorded two detached-home closings in August 2026, compared with nine in August 2025. The monthly median rose from $2,795,000 to $4,975,000, a reported 78.0% increase. With so few transactions, that percentage should not be used as a benchmark for what an individual home gained in value.
Through August, detached closings totaled 36 versus 40 a year earlier, down 10.0%. The year-to-date median increased 3.7%, from $1,910,000 to $1,980,750. Those figures support a much narrower statement: fewer detached homes closed, and the midpoint price of that larger group of completed sales was modestly higher.
36
Detached closings | Jan-Aug 2026
Compared with 40 during the same period in 2025.
133 days
Detached time to sale | Jan-Aug 2026
The reported year-to-date figure was 75 days in 2025.
The marketing-time comparison deserves attention alongside price. Year-to-date days on market rose from 75 to 133, and list price received moved from 96.3% to 95.2%. The monthly days-on-market figure went the other direction, from 102 to 91, but again reflects only two August closings. I would use the year-to-date figures to frame a discussion about timing, then narrow the comparison to similar homes.
Detached inventory was 17 homes in August versus 19 a year earlier. New listings fell from seven to four for the month and from 46 to 40 year to date. Fewer available listings and longer completed-sale marketing times can occur together. These reports do not establish why either changed.
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | MLS change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New listings | 7 | 4 | -42.9% |
| Closed sales | 9 | 2 | -77.8% |
| Median sale price* | $2,795,000 | $4,975,000 | +78.0% |
| List price received* | 95.3% | 91.3% | -4.2% |
| Days on market until sale | 102 | 91 | -10.7% |
| Available inventory | 19 | 17 | -10.5% |
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | MLS change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New listings | 46 | 40 | -13.0% |
| Closed sales | 40 | 36 | -10.0% |
| Median sale price* | $1,910,000 | $1,980,750 | +3.7% |
| List price received* | 96.3% | 95.2% | -1.1% |
| Days on market until sale | 75 | 133 | +77.7% |
Small-sample caution: the MLS warns that percentage movements may look unusually large when there are few sales. Two detached closings make August's price and selling-time comparisons especially sensitive to the properties that happened to close.
Condos / villas only
More year-to-date sales, but longer marketing time
Palmetto Dunes condos and villas recorded 98 closings through August 2026 versus 94 in the same period of 2025, a 4.3% increase. The year-to-date median was $749,450, down 0.7% from $755,000. That is a different result from detached homes, where year-to-date sales declined and the median increased.
August alone had 12 condo/villa closings compared with six a year earlier. The monthly median increased from $640,000 to $1,092,500, a reported 70.7% rise. The contrast with the nearly unchanged year-to-date median is a useful reminder that a monthly median describes that month's completed sales. It does not show that every Palmetto Dunes villa appreciated by that percentage.
98
Condo/villa closings | Jan-Aug 2026
Compared with 94 during the same period in 2025.
114 days
Condo/villa time to sale | Jan-Aug 2026
The reported year-to-date figure was 74 days in 2025.
Year-to-date days on market increased from 74 to 114. List price received was 96.7%, compared with 97.3% a year earlier. August-only selling time decreased from 111 to 101 days, so the monthly and year-to-date comparisons answer different questions. The broader completed-sale record points to more time on the market despite the modest increase in sales volume.
August condo/villa inventory declined from 58 to 52 properties, down 10.3%. New listings fell from 20 to 14 for August and from 135 to 128 year to date. Owners had fewer listed properties in the community-wide snapshot than a year earlier, but their most relevant competition still depends on the particular complex, location and property.
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | MLS change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New listings | 20 | 14 | -30.0% |
| Closed sales | 6 | 12 | +100.0% |
| Median sale price* | $640,000 | $1,092,500 | +70.7% |
| List price received* | 96.3% | 96.9% | +0.6% |
| Days on market until sale | 111 | 101 | -9.4% |
| Available inventory | 58 | 52 | -10.3% |
| Metric | 2025 | 2026 | MLS change |
|---|---|---|---|
| New listings | 135 | 128 | -5.2% |
| Closed sales | 94 | 98 | +4.3% |
| Median sale price* | $755,000 | $749,450 | -0.7% |
| List price received* | 97.3% | 96.7% | -0.6% |
| Days on market until sale | 74 | 114 | +54.5% |
The change column reproduces the MLS report's published figures; no new percentage calculation is substituted. Inventory is an August snapshot; a year-to-date inventory total is not reported. *Price-related measures exclude concessions and downpayment assistance.
For property owners
What This Means for Palmetto Dunes Property Owners
Start with the correct property type and the right comparison period. A detached-home median does not apply to a villa, and a condo/villa median does not price a detached home. August's large median increases need to be read alongside the number of closings and the more moderate year-to-date price comparisons.
For a specific property, I would narrow the analysis to its location within Palmetto Dunes, including a Leamington location where relevant, and its closest comparable sales. Beach proximity, an ocean-oriented location, golf or lagoon setting, view, condition, renovations, square footage and lot characteristics help determine which properties are useful comparisons.
Ownership costs and restrictions also deserve a property-level review: POA and regime fees, assessments, insurance, flood exposure, maintenance and rental rules. These considerations help evaluate an individual home or villa; the MLS reports do not identify them as causes of the community-wide changes.
Do not assume that every Palmetto Dunes property permits short-term rentals. Check the specific property, regime, deed restrictions, POA requirements and applicable local-government rules before relying on rental eligibility.
Reading the report
How to Read These Numbers
Median is a midpoint
It describes the prices of properties that sold during the stated period. It is not a repeat-sale measure of the same properties and does not establish individual appreciation.
Monthly and YTD overlap
August figures cover one month. Year-to-date figures cover January through August and already include August. Compare each period with the same period in 2025.
Inventory is a snapshot
Available inventory measures listings at the reporting point. New listings and closed sales count activity during a period. They should not be added together or treated as equivalent measures.
Selling time looks backward
Days on market until sale describes completed sales. It does not promise how long a current listing will take to sell or measure the waiting time of every active listing.
Percentages need labels
The detached year-to-date list-price measure moved from 96.3% to 95.2%, a 1.1 percentage-point difference in the displayed values. The table's change column reproduces the MLS percentage change, which is a separate calculation.
The reports have limits
Price measures do not reflect concessions or downpayment assistance. The MLS says percentage changes use rounded figures. This article preserves its published changes, and small samples can exaggerate percentage movements.
Palmetto Dunes market FAQs
Questions Owners Are Asking About August 2026
How is the Palmetto Dunes real estate market doing?
Through August, detached-home sales were down 10.0% while condo/villa sales were up 4.3%. August inventory was lower in both segments, and year-to-date marketing time was longer in both. Those mixed results are more useful than applying one broad market label.
Are Palmetto Dunes homes taking longer to sell?
The year-to-date report shows 133 days for detached homes versus 75 in 2025, and 114 days for condos/villas versus 74. August-only figures were lower than a year earlier for both segments, so the answer depends on the time period. These are results for completed sales.
Did detached-home values rise 78.0%?
The August median sale price rose 78.0%, but it was based on only two 2026 closings. That does not establish a 78.0% increase in individual home values. The year-to-date median was up 3.7% across 36 closings.
How is the villa market different from detached homes?
Condos/villas had more closings year to date and a slightly lower median, while detached homes had fewer closings and a higher median. The 2026 year-to-date medians were $749,450 for condos/villas and $1,980,750 for detached homes. Neither median should be applied to the other property type.
How much Palmetto Dunes inventory was available?
The August snapshot showed 17 detached homes versus 19 a year earlier, and 52 condos/villas versus 58. These are separate property-type counts, not year-to-date totals or a count of everything that came on the market.
Can this report tell me what my property is worth?
It provides market context. An individual valuation requires relevant comparable properties, recent sales, current competition and property-specific details. A community median is not an appraisal.
Related owner resources
Explore Palmetto Dunes and Ownership Details
Palmetto Dunes Real Estate Hilton Head Condos and Villas Flood Zones, Insurance and Taxes Community Fees Guide
MLS Sources and Reporting Dates
Source: REsides, Inc. and Hilton Head Area REALTORS® Local Market Updates for Palmetto Dunes, August 2026. Both original reports are current as of September 10, 2026 and were retrieved September 27, 2026.
Original August 2026 detached-home report (PDF)
Original August 2026 condo/villa report (PDF)
Review the original MLS tables
These unaltered crops retain the original numbers and footnotes. Scroll horizontally on a phone to read the full table.
Data © 2026 REsides, Inc. Report © 2026 ShowingTime Plus, LLC. Sponsored by South Carolina REALTORS®. Detached homes and condos/villas are analyzed separately. The MLS cautions that rounded figures and small samples can produce unusually large percentage changes. Price-related measures exclude sale concessions and downpayment assistance.
Community statistics are provided for general information. They are not an appraisal or an individual property valuation. Property costs, restrictions and rental eligibility require separate verification.
We do not attempt to independently verify the currency, completeness, accuracy or authenticity of the data contained herein. Data may be subject to transcription and transmission errors. Accordingly, the data is provided on an "as is" "as available" basis only and may not reflect all real estate activity in the market. © 2026 REsides, Inc. All rights reserved. Certain information contained herein is derived from information which is the licensed property of, and copyrighted by, REsides, Inc.
Copyright ©2026 Lowcountry Regional Multiple Listing Service. Information is deemed reliable but not guaranteed. Information is provided exclusively for the consumer's personal, non-commercial use, and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in purchasing. Last Updated: September 27, 2026 12:10 AM UTC
Aiken Board of Realtors® All information deemed reliable but not guaranteed. All properties are subject to prior sale, change or withdrawal. Neither listing broker(s) or information provider(s) shall be responsible for any typographical errors, misinformation, misprints and shall be held totally harmless. Listing(s) information is provided for consumer's personal, non-commercial use and may not be used for any purpose other than to identify prospective properties consumers may be interested in
