Published October 15, 2026 in Market Update

Homes in Orange County Are Selling. The Wait Is Not Helping You.

By Brian Caplicki

Real estate, Orange County with date 10 15

Everyone I talk to says the same thing. They are waiting for more homes to come on the market in Orange County, NY before they make a move. I pulled every listing through October 15, 2026. The supply everyone is waiting for is already here. The problem is, so is everyone else.

More supply is overrated when buyers move this fast

In September, 336 homes came on the market. In that same month, 239 of them found a buyer. That is 1.4 new listings for every new contract. The homes are arriving. They are just not sitting around.

Look at August. 339 new listings came on. Only 200 went under contract that month. On paper that sounds like breathing room. But the ones that went under contract in August were not necessarily the ones that came on in August. Buyers were already waiting. They moved the moment something good appeared.

The typical home across this market sold in 47 days and got every dollar of its last asking price. That is not a market where waiting gives you options. That is a market where the best homes clear before most buyers have finished thinking about it.

Who can ignore this

If you are not in a hurry and your price range is above $700K, you have a little more time. The typical home in that range took 65 days to sell, compared to 42 days for homes priced between $350K and $450K. Bigger, pricier homes move slower. The urgency is real but it is not equal across every price point.

And if you already own a home here and are not planning to move, none of this changes your day. But if you are a buyer who has been watching the market for months, this is the section that does not apply to you.

What to do differently right now

If you are selling: the 1,184 homes for sale today include 476 that have already dropped their price. The typical cut is $30,000, which is 5.9% of what they first asked. Those sellers waited too long or priced too high. The homes that sold fast got full price. Price it right from the start and you will not be in that group.

If you are buying: the rate environment is not helping you wait either. The 30-year fixed rate sits at 7.40% as of October 15, 2026, up from 6.27% a year ago, according to Freddie Mac's weekly rate survey. Waiting for more homes to appear does not lower your rate. It just gives you more competition when those homes do arrive. The homes priced under $550K are getting full price and selling in under 45 days. If that is your range, the window for a calm decision is shorter than it looks.