Market Update: Northeast Florida — September 2026
Fall's here, and the market's doing something it hasn't done in a while: it's giving buyers room to breathe. Here's what's actually happening across Clay, Duval, and St. Johns counties right now, plus one piece of news out of Tallahassee worth knowing about before you make a move.
The Numbers
Duval County — Jacksonville's median sale price sits at $310K, down 2.3% year over year, with homes averaging 44 days on market and 2,224 active listings. (Momentum Realty, live data as of Aug 10, 2026)
Clay County — Countywide median around $336K. In Green Cove Springs specifically, inventory sits at 4.8 months of supply, prices are down 4.3% year over year, and sellers are still collecting 96.1% of asking. (Momentum Realty, Aug–Sept 2026)
St. Johns County — Typical home value is $492,726, up about 5% a year over the last five years. Nearly 27% of listings have taken a price cut — a real signal that sellers have room to negotiate. (Momentum Realty market scorecard, July 6, 2026)
Rates: the 30-year fixed averaged 6.71% as of September 3, 2026, up slightly from the week before (Freddie Mac). Fannie Mae and the Mortgage Bankers Association are both projecting rates stay in the mid-6% range through the rest of the year rather than dropping meaningfully.
What this means if you're buying: more negotiating room than we've had in years, especially in St. Johns where over a quarter of sellers have already cut price once. What this means if you're selling: pricing it right the first time matters more than it did two years ago — homes that are priced to the market are still moving in under 45 days in Duval and Clay.
What's Actually Moving the Market: Amendment 3
This one's worth knowing about even if you're not a political person. Florida voters decide on Amendment 3 this November — it would raise the homestead exemption on non-school property taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and it would lower the assessment cap on non-homestead properties (second homes, rentals, investment property) from 10% down to 5% a year.
The practical piece for anyone thinking about buying a primary residence here: the amendment's larger exemption is tied to Florida residency established by December 31, 2026. If you're closing on a home this year and plan to homestead it, that date matters. If you're moving here after the new year, you'd start on the current exemption and phase up over five years under the proposed rules.
I'm not going to tell you how to vote — that's yours to decide. But if it affects your numbers on a purchase or a sale, you should know it's on the ballot. NEFAR's Legislative Committee is holding an open session on September 15 for anyone who wants the details straight from the source.
Fall Is Actually Here
St. Augustine — Sing Out Loud runs through September 27, with roughly 160 free performances across 17 venues downtown.
Clay County — the Town of Orange Park's Fall Festival is the county's oldest and largest arts and crafts festival, one of the better reasons to spend an afternoon in Orange Park this fall.
Jacksonville — Wicked Barley's Oktoberfest runs September 18–20 out on Baymeadows Road.
The Bottom Line
Whichever side of a move you're on — buying your last house, selling one you've outgrown, or just trying to figure out what your land is actually worth — the honest answer changes by the property, not the headline. That's what I'm here for.
Call or text me at 904-438-4928 — I'll get you an answer.
Trusted Guidance, One Move at a Time.
Aliea Veon
Veon Home Team at Betros Realty
