Published October 25, 2026 in Market Update

Inventory is down across Mandarin, Baymeadows and SS

By Angela GiGi Urbanski

Real estate, Mandarin/Baymeadows/ SS

Here is the one thing that changes the math for sellers right now. The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 748 homes for sale across Mandarin, Baymeadows and Southside in the three months ending August 31, 2026. That is down 25.3% from the same months a year before. Less competition on the shelf is a real advantage if you are pricing carefully.

Compare that to the national picture. Realtor.com reported 1.16 million active listings nationally in September 2026. Supply is growing in many parts of the country. Here, it is shrinking. That gap matters when you are deciding when and how to list.

There is a catch, though. Realtor.com also reported that mortgage rates climbed above 7% for the first time since January 2025. That slows some buyers down. It does not stop the market, but it does mean pricing has to be honest. Realtor.com found that 20.8% of listings nationally took a price cut in September 2026, the highest share since October 2022. Overpriced homes still sit.

What the numbers say ZIP by ZIP

This market does not move as one. Each ZIP code has its own story for the three months ending August 31, 2026, and the differences are worth knowing before you pick a price or make an offer.

Inventory fell everywhere, but not by the same amount

ZIP 32256, the Baymeadows corridor, had the biggest inventory drop: down 32% from a year before, according to the Real Estate Data Aggregator. It also had the longest median days on market at 71 days, though that is 20 days shorter than the same period last year. More supply than its neighbors, but tightening fast.

ZIP 32223, the heart of Mandarin, moved the quickest. The Real Estate Data Aggregator found that 39.3% of homes there went under contract within two weeks of listing, up 18.8 points from a year before. The median sale price there was $440,000, the highest of the five ZIPs, though it dipped 5.4% from last year.

ZIP 32257 had the highest share of homes selling above list price: 17.7%, up 10.7 points from a year before. Its median sale price of $362,500 rose 6.6% year over year, the only ZIP in this group to post a price gain. Those two facts together tell you buyers are competing there.

Sales and pending contracts held up

The Real Estate Data Aggregator counted 664 homes sold across all five ZIPs combined, down just 1.5% from a year before. Pending sales actually rose 1.8% to 733. That tells you demand did not disappear. Fewer homes came to market, and buyers kept writing contracts on the ones that did.

What this means if you are a seller

Fewer listings around you is a real advantage. But it is not a blank check on price. The Federal Housing Finance Agency reported that U.S. home prices rose just 2.6% from July 2025 to July 2026. Nationally, price growth is modest. Locally, ZIP 32223 and ZIP 32258 both saw median prices slip from last year. Pricing to the data, not to the hope, is what gets a home sold.

What this means if you are a buyer

You have fewer homes to choose from than buyers did a year ago. In ZIP 32223, nearly 4 in 10 homes went under contract within two weeks. In ZIP 32257, that share was 35%. If a home fits, waiting to see if the price drops is a real risk. At the same time, ZIP 32256 still had 293 homes for sale and a 4.2-month supply, so there is more breathing room there if the Baymeadows area works for you.

One more thing for buyers: get your insurance quotes before you fall in love with a house. Flood zone and premiums vary by address in this part of Jacksonville. CNBC reported that a monthly payment on a median-priced home on a 30-year fixed rate took up roughly 33% of a median family's income in 2025, compared with 26% in 2022. Insurance is part of that total cost picture, and it catches a lot of buyers off guard.