ORLANDO, Fla. – Nearly $400,000—that’s what homes are going for nowadays in Orlando, and the price tag is turning heads. Orlando city leaders voted this week to sell a new round of homes they built as part of a push to keep affordable housing within reach in Parramore.
The eight new single-family homes are part of Phase 3 of Orlando’s infill housing initiative. This isn’t the first round—the city has already built and sold eight homes on city-owned lots since 2018 during the first two phases.
“I was lucky enough to be chosen for a lottery to take advantage of this opportunity, and I hope that anyone coming into the community has the same opportunities,” said homeowner Tamara Frazier.
Frazier bought one of those homes back in 2019 for $205,000 and also received $10,000 in down payment assistance.
“Comparing it to now, just where we are, it makes me wonder if the opportunity will have the same impact,” Frazier said.
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Now, the price tag looks very different. These new homes are expected to fall between $365,000 and $380,000—right in line with the current market. According to the Orlando Regional Realtor Association, the average home price last month hit $375,000, about $100,000 more than just five years ago.
“We’ve had a couple of changes, and additional costs have come up. Our goal was to keep it around the same price we sold Phase 1 and Phase 2 at, but that wasn’t feasible,” said Orlando City Commissioner Shan Rose, who represents District 5.
Rose, who also lives in one of these homes, says down payment assistance is still available for those who qualify.
“First-time homebuyers, in a typical situation, have to take a training class, get certified, have at least $1,000 for a down payment, and be pre-qualified for a mortgage,” Rose said.
She also says first responders could receive additional down payment assistance. Commissioner Rose says they plan to hold open houses next month.
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A new report from the National Low Income Housing Coalition ranks the Orlando area among the worst in the nation for affordable housing, especially for families at the lowest income levels.
Right now, there are just 13 affordable rental units available for every 100 families who need them—tying the region with Las Vegas for the lowest in the country.
And it’s not just low-income families feeling the squeeze. Middle-income earners are also struggling to keep up, with only 82 housing units available for every 100 families—a number that has dropped for the fourth year in a row.
The report looks at the entire metro area, including Orange, Osceola, Seminole, and Lake counties, showing this is a region-wide issue, not just isolated to one neighborhood.