Selling After Isaias? What Buyers Will Ask

If you were planning to list this fall, you may be wondering whether Hurricane Isaias changed the plan. For most Mobile and Baldwin County homeowners, it didn't. It changed the conversation. Every buyer touring homes this month watched that storm come ashore on October 9, and at Perch & Oak, we'd rather you have the answers ready before they ask.

How we compare to the rest of the country

Good news for sellers on both sides of the Bay: our local markets are holding up better than the national one on the numbers that matter most.

Mobile metro (January to June 2026 average)

• Months of supply: 3.7, down from 4.1
• Homes sold: 403 a month, up 15.1%
• Median sale price: $239,524, up 2.8%
• Active listings: 1,936, up 7.0%
• Days on market: 49, about the same as last year

Baldwin County (July 2026)

• Months of supply: 4.9
• Sales: down 2.4%
• Median sale price: $375,000, up 1.9%
• Days on market: 101, 26 days slower than last year

National (September 2026)

• Months of supply: 4.8
• Sales: down 2.2%
• Median sale price: $417,500, up 1.3%
• Days on market: 33

Mobile is tighter than the country, with sales growing while national sales slip. Baldwin prices are rising faster than the national median, but buyers are taking their time, so preparation and pricing matter more there. Either way, a well-documented home stands out.

In a storm season, the seller with the paperwork wins.

What buyers will ask

Alabama is generally a "buyer beware" state for previously owned homes, with important exceptions. A known health or safety defect a buyer can't readily see (water intrusion and mold are the classic storm examples) has to be disclosed, and any direct question has to be answered honestly. Don't hide anything, and ask a real estate attorney if you're unsure.

Expect these questions:

• Did the home have any damage from Isaias?
• Was an insurance claim filed, and is it closed?
• Who did the repairs, and were they licensed?
• How old is the roof, and is it Fortified?

Build your storm file now

Before you list, build a simple folder our team at Perch & Oak can hand to a buyer's agent:

• Photos of any damage and of the finished repair
• Receipts and invoices from licensed contractors
• Claim paperwork, including the final settlement or closure letter
• Roof details: age, permits, and a Fortified certificate if you have one

If your home is Fortified and took a hit, the Alabama Department of Insurance says repairs must be done by a certified Fortified roofer, or the designation may not be renewed. That certificate can lower a buyer's wind premium, so protect it.

A note on timing and the roof

The Strengthen Alabama Homes grant (up to $10,000 toward a Fortified roof) isn't available once a home is listed for sale. The next rounds are planned for January, April and July of 2027, so if a spring sale is on your calendar, that timing is worth a conversation now. And if your home came through fine, that's a clean story and a selling point too.

Whether you're listing next month or next spring, a Home Strategy Consultation is where we sort out your repairs, your paperwork and your price, one street at a time. For more on pricing, see Price It Right, Or Watch It Sit.

Mobile figures: Redfin, January to June 2026 (published July 28). Baldwin figures: Alabama Center for Real Estate and Baldwin REALTORS, July 2026 (published August 31). National figures: NAR, September 2026 (released October 13). Market figures and grant terms change. This is not legal advice; confirm disclosure questions with a real estate attorney.

Be Home.
Leslie Davis, AL License #72650
Perch & Oak Property Group