Published October 4, 2026 in Market Update

This part of West Orange County is moving faster than the national market

By Andy Neal

Real estate, Primary market

Thank you for reading. I know the national headlines can make you wonder whether this is a good time to sell. Let me show you what is actually happening in this part of West Orange County, because the local numbers tell a different story than the national ones.

The national picture vs. what is happening here

The National Association of Realtors reported that existing-home sales fell 2.0% in August 2026. That is a real dip, and I am not going to pretend it does not matter. But it is a national number, and this market is not the national market.

It is worth noting that the National Association of Realtors also reported existing-home sales were up 1.6% year-to-date through the first eight months of 2026. So the longer trend nationally is still positive, even with August's dip.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 214 homes sold in ZIP 34786 in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 13.8% from the same three months a year ago. Buyers are active here, even as rates have climbed.

Homes are selling faster, too

Speed matters to sellers. The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median days on market in ZIP 34786 was 37 days in the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is 6 days shorter than the same period a year ago. Homes are not sitting.

And 33.5% of homes went under contract within two weeks of listing, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That share is up 4 points from a year ago. One in three homes here found a buyer in two weeks or less.

Prices held up, and sellers got close to asking

The Real Estate Data Aggregator put the median sale price in ZIP 34786 at $879,950 for the three months ending July 31, 2026. That is up 5.3% from a year ago. Prices did not just hold, they moved up.

Sellers received an average of 96.2% of their list price, up 0.4 points from a year ago, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. That means the gap between what sellers asked and what buyers paid got a little smaller. Pricing well still matters, but the market is rewarding it.

Supply is up a little, but demand is keeping pace

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 274 homes for sale in ZIP 34786 during the three months ending July 31, 2026, up 2.6% from a year ago. More choices for buyers, but not so many that sellers lose their footing.

Months of supply came in at 3.9 months, down 0.5 months from a year ago, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Compare that with the National Association of Realtors, which reported 4.9 months of supply nationally, the highest level in over ten years. This market is tighter than the country as a whole.

Rates are a real factor right now

I want to be honest about this. Freddie Mac reported the 30-year fixed rate averaged 7.28% as of October 1, 2026. CNBC reported the average contract rate for 30-year conforming loans reached 7.30% that same week. Realtor.com noted rates crossed 7% in late September for the first time since January 2025.

Higher rates slow some buyers down. Realtor.com reported that homes under contract nationally fell 4.1% year over year as of September 30, 2026. That is worth knowing. But the pending sales count here, 215 homes in the three months ending July 31, 2026, was still up 2.4% from a year ago, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Local buyers are still moving.

What this means if you are thinking about selling

The numbers for the three months ending July 31, 2026 show real buyer demand in ZIP 34786. More homes sold, prices moved up, and homes went under contract faster than a year ago. The national slowdown is real, but it has not shown up here the same way.

That said, one street can read differently from the whole ZIP code. A home's condition, price point, and exact location all matter. These numbers give you the backdrop, not the full picture of your specific home.