While new home starts declined by roughly 7% in 2025, homebuilders in Orlando are starting to see higher demand and increased consumer confidence.
Brian Brunhofer, Taylor Morrison’s Orlando Division President for the last decade, told GrowthSpotter business is picking up, and the market is primed for a big year in 2026.
“We’re starting to see more and more traffic — traffic in January was better than the last 90 days. So, I’m still excited to see where that can go and really fall back into what the industry was a number of years ago,” Brunhofer said. “There’s a little more seasonality right now, and that’s OK. We’re excited to see where February-March-April brings us, cause last year we had a really strong March and April.”
Brian Brunhofer has been the Orlando division president of Taylor Morrison for a decade. (Courtesy of Taylor Morrison)
Brunhofer said the buying public has begun to accept that a 5% interest rate is “a good rate now” and will likely improve in the next 12 months. But with that acceptance comes more selectivity.
Buyers in 2026 are focusing on location, amenities and superior finishes. They want more customization. “So, I think for us it’s making sure that we offer that optionality,” Brunhofer said. “We’re getting them to the design center so they can make those choices and tailor the home to what they’re really looking for.”
Taylor Morrison is betting big on its Esplanade lifestyle brand as the Orlando division rolls out two new resort communities in 2026.
Taylor Morrison held a VIP opening in January for its Esplanade at McKinnon Groves resort lifestyle community in Wellness Way. The official grand opening is slated for late February. (Courtesy of Taylor Morrison)
Brunhofer said the builder held a VIP opening for Esplanade at McKinnon Groves in Wellness Way in January and will hold its model opening for Esplanade at Westview this weekend. At Center Lake Ranch in St. Cloud, the Esplanade amenity center will open in about 90 days.
“It’s really intriguing to that buyer group of being able to offer that resort lifestyle, and I think everybody in Florida looks for some level of lifestyle as they’re wanting to buy in a new community. But the level of lifestyle and concierge service that we’re providing in those Esplanades is exciting,” Brunhofer said.
This 4-bedroom, 3.5-bath Anastasia model is available to build on 40-foot lots in Lochside at Mount Dora. Pricing starts at $525,999. (Courtesy of Taylor Morrison)
Outside of the resort expansion, Taylor Morrison is one of the few production homebuilders striving to accommodate buyers at multiple income brackets and stages of life. The Orlando division recently opened sales at Lochside, a gated community next to the Country Club of Mount Dora, and will start construction soon on Heron Bay, a 526-lot subdivision in Sunbridge. Both communities target first-time move-up buyers.
But the company also offers a broad portfolio of products for entry-level and first-time buyers. Just across the highway from Lochside, the builder launched sales for its first condo-townhome community in Southloch, which is also home to its Yardly Mount Dora rental community.
“And I think there’s really a great opportunity to kind of see people in all phases of living, right? Whether it be rental, whether it be condo/townhome, or whether it be detached,” Brunhofer said. “So, I think there’s definitely an interest in continuing to find a way to serve all of those different buyer groups.”
Taylor Morrison has started building its first condo townhomes in Southloch, just across from Lochside. The community also features the recently completed Yardly Mount Dora community. The development reflects the homebuilders’ strategy of offering a variety of products at different price points to capture renters, first-time buyers and move-up buyers. (Courtesy of Taylor Morrison)
At Westview, the sprawling 2,549-acre master-planned community in Poinciana, the builder will open a new phase in April priced for first-time buyers while it launches sales in the higher-priced Esplanade community.
“Westview is the perfect example of how many different price points and floor plans we have, and being able to meet the needs of all kinds of different buyers in one location. And I think the good news is we’ve got the competencies to serve each of those buyer groups,” he said.
Another opening planned in April is Windward Preserve, a 385-lot community in Cocoa. “We’re excited to be able to serve in Brevard, cause this will be the first time in Brevard for a number of years, but more importantly, just kind of that first move-up buyer,” Brunhofer said. The community is located at the S.R. 528 interchange with I-95. “Just great accessibility to not only Orlando but the Space Coast and all the employment, all the jobs, and certainly the beach. So we’re excited to launch that community.”
The Orlando division is bullish on the Space Coast and plans to expand its operations there. Brunhofer said they’re under contract now for three separate projects in Volusia County with a combined 800-plus lots serving “mostly move-up buyers.”
“So that’s probably the most pressing right now as we look at kind of moving through due diligence and getting to a closing in the next six months on those properties,” he said.
Have a tip about Central Florida development? Contact me at lkinsler@GrowthSpotter.com or (407) 420-6261. Follow GrowthSpotter on Facebook and LinkedIn.