Published October 11, 2026 in Market Update

Windermere prices kept rising even with homes taking longer to sell

By Andy Neal

Real estate, Windermere

Thank you for reading. I know a 7.40% mortgage rate, reported by Freddie Mac as of October 8, 2026, is not easy news. Buyers feel it every month on their payment. So the first thing I want to tell you is this: prices in the Windermere ZIP code did not fall. They rose.

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 192 homes sold in ZIP 34786 in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is up 7.3% from the same months of 2025. More homes sold, and the middle price still went up 3.5% year over year. Nationally, the Federal Housing Finance Agency reported U.S. house prices rose 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Windermere's 3.5% gain ran ahead of that.

Buyers are taking their time, and that is worth understanding

The Real Estate Data Aggregator shows the median home in ZIP 34786 sat on the market 51 days, five days longer than the same period of 2025. That is not a collapse. It is buyers doing more homework. With rates where they are, that makes sense. Freddie Mac put the 30-year fixed rate at 7.40% as of October 8, 2026. Realtor.com also noted rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. Buyers are comparing more carefully before they commit.

The share of homes that went under contract within two weeks of listing fell to 27.5%, down 3.5 points from a year before, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. So fewer homes are flying off the shelf in the first two weeks. That is honest. But more than one in four homes still went under contract quickly, which tells you well-priced homes still find buyers.

More homes to choose from, fewer new ones coming in

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 269 homes for sale in ZIP 34786 during the three months ending August 31, 2026, up 7.2% from a year before. Buyers have more options than they did. At the same time, new listings fell 5.5% to 222. Fewer sellers are coming to market. That combination, more total inventory but fewer fresh listings, kept months of supply steady at 4.3 months, unchanged from a year before.

What sellers are actually getting

The average home in ZIP 34786 sold for 96.1% of its list price, up 0.3 points from a year before, per the Real Estate Data Aggregator. Sellers gave up a little less than last year, not more. Only 3.7% of homes sold above list price, down 0.2 points. Bidding wars are rare here. Most homes close near their asking price when they are priced right from the start.

The national picture adds context

Nationally, Realtor.com reported that 20.8% of listings saw price cuts in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. That is a real signal about buyer power across the country. Windermere's 3.5% price gain, reported by the Real Estate Data Aggregator, ran against that trend. Not every market moves the same way. Keep in mind that a Windermere mailing address covers homes both inside and outside the Town of Windermere itself. Town limits and unincorporated Orange County read differently, and school zone assignments should always be confirmed with Orange County Public Schools for the specific address.