Lately, I’ve noticed more builders in the Duval County area adjusting their approach—especially when it comes to pricing homes for buyers who care about monthly payments. Early in Q3 2026, 53% of new single-family homes nationwide sold below $400K (up from 50% last year). The median landed at $393.8K, while the average price climbed to $508.8K. But that doesn’t mean prices are dropping across the board. What’s really happening is builders are focusing on smaller, entry-level homes, while a handful of high-end sales keep the average up. In fact, homes between $300K and $399.9K made up about 34% of sales in early Q3, compared to 28% in late Q2. At the same time, the $400K–$1M range saw less action, while there was actually a bump in homes over $1M.
Now, as someone who’s walked a lot of VA buyers through the numbers, I’ll tell you: sticker price isn’t the whole story. You want to check price per square foot, lot size, HOA fees, property taxes, insurance, upgrades, builder incentives, and even how the home appraises. What you pay up front isn’t always what you end up paying. If builders keep seeing high payment pressure and there’s still a solid supply of new homes, I wouldn’t be surprised to see more sub-$400K options coming up—especially in markets like ours where every dollar counts for military families. Stay sharp, compare all the angles, and don’t just focus on that list price.
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