🏡 February 2026 Market — What People Actually Need to Know

Big Picture (the real headline)

The market is splitting depending on location + property type
Manatee = still growing (especially houses)
Sarasota = cooling a bit (especially houses)
Condos/townhomes = where the action is right now
Buyers have more choices + more negotiating power than last year

🏠 Single-Family Homes (Houses)

Sarasota County

Sales are up slightly, BUT…
Prices are down ~5% → affordability is hitting buyers
Homes are taking longer to sell (~2 months to go under contract)
Inventory dropped → fewer homes available than last year
Sellers are getting about 94% of asking price

👉 Translation:

Buyers are pushing back on pricing
Sellers don’t have full control anymore
You need to price correctly or sit

Manatee County

Sales are up 10% (strong)
Prices are still rising (~3%)
Homes are selling a little slower, but still steady
Inventory is pretty stable

👉 Translation:

This is the healthier, more stable house market right now
Still seller-friendly… just not crazy-hot like before

🏢 Condos & Townhomes (THIS is where things are shifting fast)

Sarasota County

Sales jumped 36% 🔥
Prices dipped slightly
Inventory is HIGH (8+ months supply) → lots of options
Buyers have serious negotiating power
68% of buyers paid CASH

👉 Translation:

This is a buyer’s market
Deals are happening
Investors + second-home buyers are dominating

Manatee County

Sales are down ~19%
Prices slightly down
BUT pending sales are rising → could rebound soon
Inventory still relatively high

👉 Translation:

Slower right now, but could pick up in the next few months

💰 Cash Buyers (this matters more than people realize)

Huge chunk of the market:
- ~47% of Sarasota house buyers
- Up to 68% in condos
These are:
- Investors
- Snowbirds / second-home buyers
- Relocations

👉 Translation:

Financing buyers are competing with cash
Speed + clean offers matter more than ever

⏳ Timing (this is a shift people feel)

Homes are taking 2–2.5 months to get under contract
Closings are taking 3+ months total

👉 Translation:

The “sell in a weekend” era is mostly over
Strategy > luck now

🔑 What This Means (Real Talk)

If you're a BUYER:

You finally have leverage again
Especially in condos → you can negotiate
But… cash buyers are your competition

If you're a SELLER:

You can still win… BUT:
- Overpricing will hurt you
- Expect negotiation
- Presentation + pricing matter more than ever

If you're an INVESTOR:

Condos (especially Sarasota) = opportunity zone right now
High inventory + motivated sellers = potential deals

Bottom Line

This is no longer a one-direction market.

👉 It’s hyper-local + property-specific
👉 Houses ≠ condos anymore
👉 Sarasota ≠ Manatee anymore

And the biggest shift?

👉 Power is slowly moving back toward buyers (especially in condos)

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