Issue 001  ·  August 2026

Why Are 1,132 Listings Failing Every Week?

Price Changes  ·  Central Florida  ·  Last 7 Days
2,799
Price Reductions
VS
271
Price Increases
10.3 TO 1
For every home that raised its price, more than 10 lowered it.
Market Snapshot Central Florida  ·  Last 7 Days
New Listings 1,979
Pending 1,796
Sold 1,887
Failed (Expired + Canceled) 1,132
Stellar MLS · Citrus, Lake, Leon, Marion, Orange, Osceola, Polk, Seminole, Sumter, Volusia · All property types · All price ranges
What I'm Seeing  ·  August 2026
The Market Isn't Slow. The Pricing Is Wrong.

Look at the numbers above — 598 expired, 534 canceled, in one week across Central Florida. Most people see that and think "the market is slow." That's the wrong read. The market isn't slow. The pricing is wrong.

"The market isn't slow. Buyers are simply refusing to overpay."

— Abel Cruz Jr.

Here's the pattern I'm seeing consistently: sellers are still anchoring to what their neighbor sold for in 2022 or what Zillow estimated six months ago. Neither of those numbers is the market anymore. Buyers today have more inventory to choose from, more time to decide, and rate calculators that tell them exactly what a $25,000 price difference means to their monthly payment. They are not emotional about it. They move on.


The Market Is Speaking
Sellers Cutting Price
2,799
Homes Going Pending
1,796
Homes are selling — just not at every price.

The listings that are closing — and 1,887 did close this week — are the ones priced at what the market will actually bear today, not what the seller hoped it would bear six months ago. That gap between hope and reality is exactly where listings go to expire.

Failed Listings  ·  Last 7 Days
598
Expired
+
534
Canceled
=
1,132
Failed Listings
More than 1,100 sellers left the market without a sale last week.

What makes this more visible than people realize: every overpriced listing that expires becomes a comparable. When your neighbor's home sits for 90 days and either sells at a significant discount or cancels entirely, that influences the valuation of your home — even if you have no plans to sell. Appraisers and buyers use failed listings as context. Ignored pricing data has consequences.

If you're thinking about selling in the next 6 months, the conversation you need is about current comps and current buyer psychology — not last year's peak. That's the conversation I have with every seller before we agree on a number.

— Abel Cruz Jr.  |  USMC Veteran  |  MRP  |  (845) 721-6997
Professional's Corner  ·  August: Insurance
Do You Know Your Hurricane Deductible?

Most Florida homeowners have two different deductibles on their policy and don't realize it. Your everyday deductible — called All Other Perils (AOP) — is a flat dollar amount: typically $1,000, $1,500, or $2,500. That covers most claims.

Your hurricane deductible is different. It's not a flat number. It's a percentage of your Coverage A — the dwelling coverage amount on your policy. Common options are 2%, 3%, 5%, or 10% or higher. On a home insured for $200,000, a 2% hurricane deductible means you're responsible for the first $4,000 before your insurance pays anything. Choose 5% on that same home and you're covering $10,000 out of pocket.

The trade-off: A higher hurricane deductible lowers your annual premium — but means a much larger out-of-pocket expense when a storm hits. Most homeowners pick the higher deductible to save on premium without fully understanding what they've agreed to until they file a claim.

Pull out your policy and find both numbers before storm season. Not after you've already filed.

Active Listings
4506 NE 10th St — Ocala, FL
$234,900
3/2  ·  1,144 SqFt  ·  Marion Co.  ·  No HOA

Fully renovated. New roof, HVAC, windows, kitchen, baths. Corner lot, 0.41 acres, fenced, 2-car garage.

View Listing →
1708 E Ohio St — Plant City, FL
$249,900
3/1  ·  900 SqFt  ·  Hillsborough Co.  ·  No HOA

Concrete block. New roof 2026, new HVAC, new flooring, updated kitchen and bath. Nothing to fix.

View Listing →
1592 Flange Dr — Davenport, FL
$549,900
6/5  ·  3,291 SqFt  ·  Osceola Co.

Furnished resort pool home. Rarely used. Two primary suites. 15 min from Disney.

View Listing →
Fisher Lane Ct — Ocklawaha, FL
$19,500
Vacant Lot  ·  0.23 Acres  ·  Marion Co.  ·  No HOA

Buildable lot. Paved road access, no HOA, no rear neighbors. 11 min to East Lake Weir.

View Listing →
VA Benefit Spotlight
Most Veterans Never Fully Use Their VA Loan Benefit

Only 12% of eligible veterans have ever used their VA home loan benefit. Most don't know how it actually works — or they get steered away from it by agents who don't understand it either. As a USMC veteran, I've made it my business to change that. If you know a military family thinking about buying in Central Florida, send them my way.

Questions About Today's Market?
Let's talk. No obligation. Just a straight answer.