Century 21 Alton Clark

10/08/2026

Buyers finally have a little more breathing room in Central Florida.
Orlando currently has 12,144 homes in inventory, 4.9 months of supply, and homes are averaging 64 days on market.
That means buyers have more choices, more time, and potentially more negotiating power than they had in a tighter market.
Sellers can still win — but pricing and presentation matter more now.
📲 James Clark
407-575-7011

10/07/2026

October is here — and the Central Florida real estate market is shifting.
Buyers have more choices, homes are taking longer to sell, and pricing matters more than it did a year or two ago. At the same time, mortgage rates remain a major factor in affordability.
If you’re thinking about buying or selling this fall, the strategy matters just as much as the market.
📲 James Clark
407-575-7011

10/06/2026

Mortgage rates just moved higher.
The average 30-year fixed rate reached 7.28% on October 1, up from 6.66% on August 27.
That matters because even a small rate increase can have a big impact on monthly payment and buying power.
If you’re planning to buy this fall, don’t just watch home prices — watch the payment.
📲 James Clark
407-575-7011

10/05/2026

A look back at September’s Orlando luxury real estate market. 🏡
Luxury single-family homes remained in a balanced market, with 1,363 homes in inventory, 214 sales, a $1.20M median sales price, and a 16% sales ratio. Homes sold for a median of 97.21% of list price, while median days on market came in at 32 days.

One of the strongest price segments was $950,000–$1,049,999, where the sales ratio reached 24%.
The takeaway: Orlando luxury is still moving, but pricing, presentation, and understanding your specific price segment matter more than ever.

09/29/2026

There isn’t one housing market right now. There are four.
💵 Cash buyers are still operating differently than everyone else.
🏦 Financed buyers are leaning heavily on concessions, buydowns, and closing-cost help.
🔒 Rate-locked homeowners are sitting on low mortgage rates and staying put.
🏗️ Homebuilders are dealing with elevated inventory and using incentives to move homes.
That’s why saying “the housing market is good” or “the housing market is bad” is way too simplistic.
Your experience depends on which market you’re actually in.
And if you’re buying or selling in Central Florida, that distinction can completely change your strategy.
Which one are you in?

09/25/2026

A $25,000 price cut and a $25,000 seller credit are not the same thing.

A price reduction lowers the purchase price, reduces the loan amount, and gives the buyer a little more equity from day one. The tradeoff? The monthly payment may not drop as much as buyers expect.

A seller credit can be more flexible. Depending on the loan and deal structure, it may help cover closing costs, reduce the buyer’s cash needed at closing, or be used toward a rate buydown that can have a bigger impact on the monthly payment.

So which is better?

It depends on the buyer’s goal.

Lower price?
Lower payment?
Less cash out of pocket?

That’s why the best negotiation is rarely just about price.

It’s about structuring the entire deal.

09/24/2026

The Fed can move interest rates — but it does not directly set your mortgage rate.
Mortgage rates are influenced much more by things like the 10-year Treasury yield, inflation expectations, the strength of the economy, and investor demand for mortgage-backed securities.
That’s why mortgage rates can sometimes fall even when the Fed is holding or raising rates — and rise when the Fed is cutting.
After the September meeting, the Fed raised its target range by 0.25% to 3.75%–4.00%, but that does not mean mortgage rates automatically move up by the same amount.
For buyers and sellers, the takeaway is simple: don’t make a real estate decision based on a Fed headline alone. Watch actual mortgage rates, monthly payment, seller concessions, and the overall deal.

The Fed matters. It’s just not the whole story.

09/23/2026

The Fed just changed the conversation.
At its September meeting, the Federal Reserve raised its benchmark rate by 0.25%, bringing the target range to 3.75%–4.00%.
The message is pretty clear: inflation is still the priority, and borrowing costs could remain elevated longer than many people hoped.
For real estate, that means buyers and sellers should be watching more than just the next Fed announcement. Mortgage rates, inflation data, bond yields and the Fed’s outlook all matter.

Swipe through for the numbers that actually matter — without the economics degree.

09/17/2026

Could Congress double the home-sale capital gains exclusion?

The More Homes on the Market Act has been introduced in Congress as H.R. 1340 and S. 3332. Under current federal law, qualifying homeowners may exclude up to $250,000 of gain on the sale of a principal residence, or up to $500,000 for qualifying married couples filing jointly.

The proposal would increase those limits to $500,000 for single filers and $1,000,000 for married couples filing jointly, while keeping the existing principal-residence eligibility framework.

Why is this getting attention in real estate? Supporters of the proposal argue that higher exclusion limits could reduce the tax friction facing some longtime homeowners with large gains and potentially encourage more of them to sell, downsize or relocate — which could add inventory to the market.

Important: this is proposed federal legislation, not current law.

Would a change like this affect your decision to sell?

09/16/2026

Florida Amendment 3 is on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot, and it could materially change property-tax exemptions for qualifying Florida homeowners if at least 60% of voters approve it.

The proposal would increase the homestead exemption that applies to non-school property taxes to up to $150,000 in 2027 and up to $250,000 in 2028. Beginning in 2029, that $250,000 amount would receive positive inflation adjustments. School district taxes would not receive the larger exemption.

This carousel shows one simple 3-year example using a 15-mill non-school tax rate and a property with enough assessed value to use the full exemption. Under that illustration, the additional savings compared with current law would be about $1,479 in 2027, about $2,979 in 2028, and about $2,979+ in 2029 — roughly $7,437+ over three years.

Actual savings would vary by assessed value, exemptions, local millage rates and final implementation. This post is informational only and is not a recommendation on how to vote.

01/30/2020

🏘🏡 🏢Century 21 Alton Clark 🏢🏡🏘
🏘🏡Facebook Cover 2020🏡🏘

10/18/2019