New Construction & Newer Homes Market Report: Niceville, Shalimar & Fort Walton Beach
This week's specialty source contains 57 active new-construction records and 25 active newer-resale records across the three market areas.
The specialty active total is still 82. The change is inside the mix: new construction increased by four records while newer resale decreased by four.
New construction now accounts for 57 of 82 specialty active records, or about 70%, compared with 53 of 82 one week ago.
For newer-resale sellers, that means fewer direct newer-resale competitors, but more of the buyer's same-budget alternatives are brand-new homes. The current mix changed, not the value of any one property.
Source: ECAR/Flexmls Residential CMA and matching row-level CSV pulled October 4, 2026 at 2:34 p.m. Property type Residential; subtype Detached Single Family. The source includes Niceville and Fort Walton Beach MLS areas and homes built in 2016 or later. Counts are MLS listing records, not automatically unique physical properties.
The Active Total Stayed at 82, but the Mix Shifted Toward New Construction
The specialty active count did not increase from September 27. New construction rose from 53 to 57 active records while newer resale fell from 29 to 25.
$675,000 median ask
72 median reported DOM
$489,500 median ask
68 median reported DOM
classified as new construction
The current source is restricted to homes built in 2016 or later. Two active 2016 records are outside both specialty categories, so the 82 specialty actives are a subset of the source's 84 Active records.
The Newer-Resale Group Got Smaller, and Its Median Active DOM Fell to 68 Days
The active newer-resale count fell from 29 to 25, while its median reported DOM fell from 88 to 68. Because the sample composition changed at the same time, that is not proof that individual newer resales became easier to sell.
| Metric | New Construction | Newer Resale |
|---|---|---|
| Active MLS records | 57 | 25 |
| Median active asking price | $675,000 | $489,500 |
| Median active reported DOM | 72 | 68 |
| Active at 91+ reported DOM | 21 of 57 36.8% | 10 of 25 40.0% |
| Active below original list price | 16 of 57 28.1% | 12 of 25 48.0% |
| Pending MLS records | 22 | 12 |
| Median pending reported DOM | 24.5 | 61.5 |
| Closed in trailing 90 days | 29 | 33 |
| 90-day median sold price | $665,000 | $580,000 |
| 90-day median sold price / sq. ft. | $275 | $270 |
| 90-day median reported DOM | 37 | 43 |
Trailing 90-day closed window: July 7 through October 4, 2026. Builder-reported DOM can behave differently from resale DOM, so market-time comparisons are descriptive rather than proof of buyer decision time.
The Total Active Count Stayed at 82: New Construction Rose by Four, Newer Resale Fell by Four
| Metric | Sept. 27 | Oct. 4 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Active new construction | 53 | 57 | +4 |
| Active newer resale | 29 | 25 | -4 |
| New construction median active DOM | 66 | 72 | +6 days |
| Newer resale median active DOM | 88 | 68 | -20 days |
| New construction below original list | 15 of 53 | 16 of 57 | +1 record |
| Newer resale below original list | 18 of 29 | 12 of 25 | -6 records |
| Pending new construction | 24 | 22 | -2 |
| Pending newer resale | 15 | 12 | -3 |
Niceville Has More New Construction and Fewer Newer Resales Than Last Week
Niceville has 32 active new-construction records and 14 active newer-resale records in this week's specialty cohort. One week ago, the counts were 30 and 18.
| Niceville | New Construction | Newer Resale |
|---|---|---|
| Active | 32 | 14 |
| Median ask | $685,000 | $587,450 |
| Median active reported DOM | 52 | 87 |
| Active at 91+ reported DOM | 12 of 32 38% | 7 of 14 50% |
| Active below original list | 5 of 32 16% | 8 of 14 57% |
| Pending | 20 | 8 |
| 90-day closed | 24 | 21 |
| 90-day median sold | $667,450 | $615,000 |
| 90-day median reported DOM | 2 | 41 |
Seller meaning: Niceville's newer-resale group is smaller than last week, but 8 of 14 active records are below original list price and 7 have 91 or more reported DOM.
A newer-resale seller should compare the home directly with the 32 active new-construction records, especially at the same price, size and location. A five-year-old home does not get to compete in a separate lane.
Fort Walton Beach Added One New-Construction Active; Newer Resale Stayed at Nine
Fort Walton Beach has 17 active new-construction records and 9 active newer-resale records. New construction increased from 16 last week; newer resale remained at 9.
| Fort Walton Beach | New Construction | Newer Resale |
|---|---|---|
| Active | 17 | 9 |
| Median ask | $599,900 | $435,000 |
| Median active reported DOM | 64 | 68 |
| Active at 91+ reported DOM | 4 of 17 24% | 3 of 9 33% |
| Active below original list | 7 of 17 41% | 4 of 9 44% |
| Pending | 2 | 4 |
| 90-day closed | 3 | 9 |
| 90-day median sold | $595,000 | $545,000 |
| 90-day median reported DOM | 84 | 51 |
Seller meaning: Both Fort Walton Beach specialty groups show active repricing, but the samples are modest. Seven of 17 new-construction records and 4 of 9 newer resales are below original list price.
The trailing-90-day new-construction cohort has only 3 closings. Its 84-day median reported DOM is therefore a small-sample description, not a broad rule about Fort Walton Beach new construction.
Shalimar Still Has Too Few New and Newer Records for a Broad Market Rule
Shalimar has 8 active new-construction records and 2 active newer resales in this source pull.
| Shalimar | New Construction | Newer Resale |
|---|---|---|
| Active | 8 | 2 |
| Median ask | $699,900 | $602,500 |
| Median active reported DOM | 137.5 | 26.5 |
| Active at 91+ reported DOM | 5 of 8 63% | 0 of 2 0% |
| Active below original list | 4 of 8 50% | 0 of 2 0% |
| Pending | 0 | 0 |
| 90-day closed | 2 | 3 |
| 90-day median sold | $654,950 | $449,500 |
| 90-day median reported DOM | 124.5 | 108 |
Seller meaning: Ten active specialty records, split 8 new and 2 newer resale, are not enough to support a sweeping market conclusion. There are also no pending records in either category.
For a Shalimar seller, subdivision, lot, condition, exact age and the alternatives available to the same buyer matter more than these small category medians.
The 365-Day Context Still Shows Different Price and Market-Time Mixes
The longer window keeps one week of active inventory in perspective. It still does not isolate the value of age because location, size, lot, builder, upgrades and price band differ.
Median sold: $625,055
Median sold $/sq. ft.: $269
Median reported DOM: 63.5
Median sold: $570,000
Median sold $/sq. ft.: $263
Median reported DOM: 40.5
Different locations, lots, sizes, builders, features and price bands are mixed into these medians.
Compare the Three Choices a Buyer Is Actually Making
1. What Can the Buyer Purchase New at the Same Budget?
Look at available builder inventory, location, size, lot and finish level. A five-year-old resale can compete directly with brand-new construction.
2. What Does Your Resale Already Include?
Fencing, landscaping, window coverings, pools, generators, storage and other completed improvements may change the buyer's total cost.
Advertise only improvements and transferable warranties that can be documented.
3. What Is the Buyer's Real Cost After Incentives?
Builder financing incentives, closing-cost contributions, upgrades or rate incentives may not be fully visible in public list and sold-price fields.
A simple price comparison can therefore miss part of the buyer's economic choice.
How This Report Is Built
The main findings stay in the reading path. Definitions and limitations are here so the numbers can be checked without burying the seller in setup language.
What is included in the October 4 source?
The source is an ECAR/Flexmls Residential CMA and matching row-level CSV pulled October 4, 2026 at 2:34 p.m. The property type is Residential and the subtype is Detached Single Family.
The source includes the Niceville and Fort Walton Beach MLS areas and is restricted to Year Built 2016 through 9999. Statuses include Active, Cancelled, Coming Soon, Expired, Pending, Sold and Temp Off Market.
The CSV contains 521 listing records, matching the CMA total: 84 Active, 34 Pending, 300 Sold, 18 Expired, 1 Coming Soon, 80 Cancelled and 4 Temp Off Market.
Why is there no current overall-market column this week?
The October 4 source is restricted to homes built in 2016 or later. That means it cannot calculate an all-age detached-home baseline for Niceville, Shalimar and Fort Walton Beach.
Rather than carry the September 21 overall-market figures forward and present them as current, this update limits the comparison to the categories the current source can reproduce.
What counts as new construction?
For this report, new construction is a reporting proxy based on the available MLS fields. It includes homes with a Year Built of 2026 or 2027, plus 2024-2025 homes whose Occupancy Status is reported as New.
This is a reporting classification, not a legal definition of new construction.
What counts as a newer resale?
A newer resale is a home with a Year Built of 2017 or later that is not classified as new construction under the rule above.
Because the source supplies construction year rather than an exact completion date, 2017 and newer remains the calendar-year proxy for homes less than about ten years old in 2026.
Records built in 2016 are present in the source but are not included in either specialty category.
How are Niceville, Shalimar and Fort Walton Beach separated?
Niceville uses the source Area 13 cohort.
Shalimar uses Area 12 subareas 1209 Poquito Bayou and 1210 Shalimar.
Fort Walton Beach uses the remaining Area 12 records in the source, including Mary Esther subareas carried inside the Flexmls Fort Walton Beach area structure.
What does "below original list price" mean?
It means the current List Price field is lower than the Original List Price field for that active MLS record. It does not tell us why the price changed.
Why should builder reported DOM be treated carefully?
Builder and new-construction records can be entered into the MLS at different stages of the build or contract process. A zero- or very-low-DOM closing does not necessarily prove the buyer discovered, toured and contracted for the home within that exact period.
Why not rely on sold-to-list percentage for new construction?
A builder closing may include lot premiums, selections, upgrades or other items that affect the final sold price. Those items may not be represented in the original or displayed list-price field in the same way as a normal resale.
This report therefore emphasizes inventory, reported market time, price position and medians rather than claiming that a new-construction sold-to-list ratio measures negotiating strength.
Can these numbers determine the value of one home?
No. They describe groups of MLS listing records.
Pricing one property requires a comparison of the actual neighborhood, lot, size, age, condition, improvements, builder competition and the alternatives a real buyer can purchase today.
Use the Broad Market First, Then Narrow to the Property
Price a Newer Home Against the Buyer's Real Alternatives, Not Its Age Alone
A five-year-old home may compete with a brand-new builder home, an older renovated house or another newer resale.
The useful question is what a buyer can purchase instead at the same budget and what your home gives that buyer for the money.
Jim Whatley can help you identify those real alternatives and build the pricing decision around the property you actually own.
Jim Whatley, Broker/Owner
Call or text: 850-499-2940
Jim@UberRealty.com
Market information in this report comes from ECAR/Flexmls data supplied for analysis on October 4, 2026. MLS records are believed reliable but are not guaranteed. Counts represent listing records and may not always equal unique physical properties.
New construction and newer resale are reporting classifications created from available MLS Year Built and Occupancy Status fields. They are not legal definitions.
Builder incentives, financing incentives, closing-cost contributions, upgrades, lot premiums and other economic terms may not be fully visible in the List Price and Sold Price fields.
Market statistics describe groups of homes. They are not an appraisal, guarantee, forecast or valuation of one property.
Market conditions change. This page should be updated with each new source pull.