Keeping up with the changing real estate tempo...
Ray and I spent a few days in Michigan recently for a family wedding and reunion weekend. The leaves were just starting to turn, the weather was perfect, and there was plenty of time to catch up with family and friends.
At each gathering, the conversation eventually turned to the same two topics: “How’s the weather down in Florida?” and “How’s the real estate business?”
The weather conversation was fun. Several people shared, almost in a hush-hush tone, that they were coming to Florida in October or November this year—before their usual January-to-May migration. They had all discovered the same little secret: Fall along the Gulf Coast is pretty spectacular. The weather is beautiful, the humidity has eased up a bit, and the best part? The restaurants and golf courses aren’t busy…yet. Hence the hush-hush tone. They’d really rather not let everyone in on this little secret.
"How’s the real estate business?"
I usually give them my smiling 3-second answer: “Good. Buyers are buying and sellers are selling.” (Yes, some of you have heard me give that answer. )
Honestly, I’m never quite sure people really want to hear all the fun statistical facts I have stored in my brain. So, much like doing a Texas two-step with a partner at a wedding reception, I let them take the lead.
Then comes the question I was hoping for:
“I heard prices were dropping?”
Well…that's where it gets interesting.
The truth is, sellers are learning that this is not the real estate market of the early 2020s anymore where pricing optimistically sells easily at 100%+ of list price. The local market has shifted, and Sellers pricing had to become more competitive. And now Buyers go to AI for advice: “Is this a good price?” So, sellers aren't just competing with the house down the street anymore. They're competing with what Artifical Intelligence shares with them.
And buyers? They too are learning this is not the market of 2024 and 2025, when inventory was at the highest level in years and Sellers had strong competition. Now, in 2026 inventory has become a bit tighter. Buyers are seeing properties are staying on the market a shorter amount of days. Add to that Buyers have an incredible amount of information at their fingertips. They can check Realtor.com, Homes.com and a dozen of other sites before they ever call a Realtor. And when they go to AI what they are getting is "headline" news articles but not the micro-level REAL real estate data.
I will go into more detail in the Stats and Data Snapshot Section below.
What fun things are happening in our area over the next few weeks:
The Sun Fiesta - a weekend of music, fun , and bed races
The 38th Annual Venice Art Festival
A very Scary Holloween event at the Port Charlotte Fair Grounds
Sunseekers Jazz and Wine Fest
The Stats and Data Snapshot:
The Real Estate Dance Floor Is Getting a Little Less Crowded.
The inventory has tightened up a bit compared with last year, so for this newsletter, let's look at September 2025 versus September 2026. And because we like to keep our comparisons as close to apples-to-apples as possible, we're looking at SOLD 3-bedroom, 2-bath homes with a pool in three Gulf Coast areas: Venice/North Venice/Nokomis, Englewood/Rotonda West, and Punta Gorda.
Both Septembers were hurricane-free in our area. YAY!
Here's what caught my eye:
Last year, the dance floor was moving at a much slower pace. This year, someone turned up the music.
The Days on Market made a big change in tempo.
In Venice/North Venice/Nokomis, the average went from 84 days to 32 days.
Englewood/Rotonda West went from 86 days to 33 days.
And Punta Gorda? 80 days to just 20 days.
That's not a tiny shift. That's a market moving considerably faster.
And then there’s the matter of who is leading. The other number I noticed? Sellers are getting closer to their asking price. Last September, sellers in all three areas were averaging about 96% of list price. This September, that moved to 97–98%.
And the median SOLD prices?
Venice/North Venice/Nokomis: $620,000 → $620,000
Englewood/Rotonda West: $425,000 → $437,000
Punta Gorda: $500,000 → $542,000
And when it comes to prices, we're not seeing the “dramatic dip” or cha-cha some of the headlines might have you believe. In this particular slice of the market, we're not seeing a dramatic drop in sold prices. In fact we're seeing homes selling faster, sellers getting closer to their asking price, and prices holding steady or edging upward.
Why?
One likely factor is fewer homes competing for buyers' attention. When buyers have fewer choices, the dynamics change. It's a little less “I'll think about it and get back to you” and a little more “Hmm…if we like it, we probably shouldn't wait too long.”
Of course, like snapshots at family gatherings these three areas and one specific type of home doesn’t tell the entire real estate story. But they do give us a pretty good snapshot of how quickly things can change.
Take a peek at these Coldwell Banker listings:
Venice Golf & Country Club stunning POOL HOME
the exclusive Eagle Preserve in Englewood
Happy Fall Y'all!!
Oh my gourd, I love fall! It is the time of year that sets the tempo for the Holiday Season and all the wonderful reasons to get get together with family and friends! Hope your season is filled with fun, football, and festive times!
With warmest Wishes,
Mary & Ray
