Is Now a Good Time to Buy a Home in Clermont? (September 2026 Answer)

The short answer: for a prepared buyer, yes — but not because of mortgage rates. Rates in September 2026 are the highest they've been in a year (6.95% on the 30-year fixed, per Freddie Mac's September 17 survey). What makes this a genuinely good moment to buy in Clermont is everything else: 4.9 months of housing supply across the Orlando region, homes sitting about 64 days before selling, and sellers — including builders — cutting real money off asking prices. Buyers haven't had this much negotiating leverage in Central Florida in years. Here's the full picture, with the numbers behind it.

What the September 2026 numbers actually say

Start with rates, because that's the headline everyone sees. The 30-year fixed averaged 6.95% in Freddie Mac's September 17 survey, up from 6.76% the week before and up from about 6.26% a year ago. That's real money, and I won't pretend otherwise. I keep the current numbers updated on my Central Florida mortgage rates page if you want to check them any week.

Now the side of the market the headlines skip. The Orlando regional market is carrying roughly 12,100 homes in inventory — about 4.9 months of supply — with closed sales down about 9% and the median around $400,000. Homes are averaging 64 days on market. Clermont itself has been running a median around $460,000. Five years ago, homes here sold in a weekend with ten offers. Today, a listing waits two months for a buyer. That reversal is the whole story: when homes wait, buyers negotiate.

A real example from this week's data

Every week I pull the MLS and rank listings by value for my Deal of the Week. This week I ranked all 154 newer-construction homes listed between $400K and $600K across Clermont, Groveland, Minneola, and Winter Garden. The median price in that group is $235 per square foot. The best value in the entire pack: a brand-new, move-in-ready 2026 home at $156 per square foot — and the builder cut that home's price by $50,000 from its original ask to get there. Only three homes in all 154 give you 2,500+ square feet for under $420,000.

A builder voluntarily dropping $50,000 tells you who has the leverage right now. It isn't the seller. On top of price cuts, builders are quietly offering rate buydowns and closing-cost credits — I wrote about the builder incentives most buyers never think to ask for, and quarter-end (September 30) is exactly when they're most flexible. If you want to see how I rank value, that method is here: how I found the best deal in 241 listings.

"Should I wait for rates to come down?"

It's the most common question I get, so here's the honest math. Nobody — not me, not any lender, not any economist — can promise you where rates go next. But you can compare the two risks. If you buy now at 6.95% and rates fall later, you can refinance; the price you negotiated in a slow market is locked in forever. If you wait for lower rates and they do come, you won't be the only one who waited — cheaper money brings buyers back, competition returns, and the price cuts and seller concessions you're seeing today tend to disappear first. You'd trade a rate you can fix later for a price you can never renegotiate.

The date on the calendar matters less than your own numbers: the monthly payment has to work for you today, at today's rate, not at a hoped-for future one. If it works at 6.95%, anything better becomes a bonus.

Who should buy now — and who should wait

Buying now makes sense if you plan to stay in the home at least three to five years, your income is stable, and the payment at today's rates fits without stretching. First-time buyers in Clermont have extra tailwinds right now: Florida's assistance programs can put thousands toward your down payment and closing costs, and some of the new construction in our area even qualifies for zero-down USDA financing. Waiting is the right call if you may relocate within a couple of years, you're carrying high-interest debt that should be cleared first, or the payment only works if everything goes perfectly. A good agent will tell you to wait when waiting is right — I do, regularly.

One more Clermont-specific note: if you're looking at new construction (and at these price cuts, you should), always get the full monthly picture before you fall in love — HOA and CDD fees are part of the real payment. Here's my plain-English guide to HOA and CDD fees in Clermont new construction.

How to find out in one conversation

The question "is now a good time to buy?" only has a real answer with your numbers in it — your income, your debts, your down payment, your timeline. The first step costs nothing and takes minutes: find out exactly what you qualify for. Kenia Palmero at Just Mortgage (NMLS 2659006) can tell you, and then you and I can look at what your budget actually buys in this market — which, right now, is more house than it bought a year ago.

What Do I Qualify For?  ›

Have a question about a specific neighborhood, builder, or listing? Call or text me directly — I answer my own phone.

Troy Boss, REALTOR®
LIFESTYLE International Realty
315-335-4622

Market data: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey (September 17, 2026), Orlando regional MLS statistics (August 2026), and my own MLS export of September 20, 2026; all figures subject to change. Nothing here is a guarantee of loan approval, home appreciation, or future market conditions — every buyer's situation is different, and that's exactly why we talk first.