Central Florida home resales hold steady in September as borrowing costs weigh on buyers

September resale closings were nearly flat in four Orlando-area counties and down in the broader six-county Central Florida market, according to a Mortgage Expert review of Stellar MLS data. The report lands as higher mortgage rates, inflation and tighter affordability keep pressure on buyers.

Why it matters: - Central Florida buyers are still active, but higher borrowing costs are limiting momentum in parts of the market. - The mixed September results suggest local conditions vary by county, property type and price point. - Buyers comparing homes now face a market where pricing discipline matters more than broad headlines.

What happened: - Mortgage Expert reviewed Stellar MLS data and found 2,430 September resale closings across Orange, Seminole, Osceola and Lake counties. - That four-county total was up 0.5% from September 2025, even as closings fell 4.5% from August. - The median sale price in the four-county group was $389,000, down 0.7% from a year earlier. - In the broader six-county view that adds Polk and Volusia, resale closings totaled 3,674, down 3.3% from a year earlier. - Polk County resale sales fell 11.1% year over year. - Volusia County resale sales fell 8.6% year over year. - The six-county median sale price held at $360,000.

The details: - Single-family resale closings in the four-county group rose 1.1% from a year earlier. - Condo and townhouse closings in the four-county group fell 4.4% from a year earlier. - The median price for single-family homes was $435,000, down 0.7%. - The median price for condos and townhouses was $260,000, down 1.9%. - The review compared August and September 2026 with the same months in 2025 using Stellar MLS Matrix exports retrieved Oct. 14, 2026. - The analysis defined resale as residential records marked New Construction = No. - The query used MLS listings only and excluded test records and records marked Exclude From Inventory Stats. - The study was not limited to members of one Realtor association. - Regional medians were exported directly, not averaged from county medians. - Figures are not seasonally adjusted and do not include all real estate transactions. - Late reporting and corrections can change the results.

Between the lines: - The report arrives as national purchase-loan demand weakens. - The Mortgage Bankers Association said Oct. 14 that mortgage rates rose in the prior week. - The MBA’s seasonally adjusted purchase index fell 4% in the week ending Oct. 9. - Unadjusted purchase applications were 16% below the same week a year earlier. - Those national loan-application figures do not count Central Florida buyers or cash purchases. - The Bureau of Labor Statistics said consumer prices rose 0.6% in September and 3.7% over the past year. - Inflation can push up borrowing costs, including through the rate, upfront points or lender credits. - Shahram Sondi, Mortgage Expert’s owner and a licensed mortgage loan originator, said updated, well-priced homes can draw multiple offers while homes needing work can linger if pricing leans on outdated nearby sales. - The MLS study does not measure competing offers or home updates, so those observations are firsthand market experience rather than study findings.

What's next: - Sondi advises buyers to set a full housing budget, review recent nearby sales, negotiate when the facts support it and compare matching Loan Estimates. - Buyers should factor in taxes, insurance, association fees, repairs and emergency cash reserves. - A refinance-dependent plan can fail if rates do not fall or the borrower cannot qualify. - Mortgage Expert says its Central Florida report includes county comparisons, charts and an explanation of why a slower market is not the same as a market crash. - ORRA’s reported 4.9 months of housing supply refers to August 2026 and sits below the rough six-month balance benchmark. - Mortgage Expert’s full Central Florida housing report, rate calculator and buyer guide are available online.

The bottom line: - Central Florida resale sales are not collapsing, but they are uneven, price-sensitive and increasingly shaped by financing costs.