Newly released data from Realtor.com for October shows that potential buyers and sellers in Sussex County saw slightly lower home sale prices than the previous month’s median of $475,000.

The median home sold for $472,500, an analysis of data from Realtor.com shows. That means October, the most recent month for which figures are available, was slightly down from September.

Compared to October 2024, the median home sales price was down 4.1% compared to $492,450.

Realtor.com sources sales data from real estate deeds, resulting in a few months’ delay in the data. The statistics don’t include homes currently listed for sale and aren’t directly comparable to listings data.

DELAWARE REAL ESTATE: See how much homes prices rose in New Castle County recently

Information on your local housing market, along with other useful community data, is available at data.delawareonline.com.

Here is a breakdown on median sale prices:

• Looking only at single-family homes, the $490,000 median selling price in Sussex County was up 3.2% in October from $475,000 the month prior. Since October 2024, the sales price of single-family homes was slightly down from a median of $490,445.Fifty-four single family homes sold for $1 million or more during the month, compared to 36 recorded transactions of at least $1 million in October 2024.

• Condominiums and townhomes is the same sales price during October to a median of $450,000 from $450,000 in September. Compared to October 2024, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes was down 9.1% from $495,000. Ten condominiums or townhomes sold for $1 million or more during the month, compared to 14 recorded transactions of at least $1 million in October 2024.

About recorded home sales in Sussex County in Delaware

In October, the number of recorded sales in Sussex County dropped by 10% since October 2024 — from 482 to 434. All residential home sales totaled $285.4 million.

Across Delaware, homes sold at a median of $399,995 during October, up 2.6% from $390,000 in September. There were 1,072 recorded sales across the state during October, down 15.8% from 1,273 recorded sales in October 2024. 

DELAWARE REAL ESTATE: See how much homes prices rose in Kent County recently

Here’s a breakdown for the full state:

• The total value of recorded residential home sales in Delaware decreased by 3.4% from $553.6 million in September to $534.7 million this October. 
• Out of all residential home sales in Delaware, 6.72% of homes sold for at least $1 million in October, up from 5.11% in October 2024.
• Sales prices of single-family homes across Delaware increased by 2.8% from a median of $408,500 in September to $419,900 in October. Since October 2024, the sales price of single-family homes across the state was up 5% from $400,000. 
• Across the state, the sales price of condominiums and townhomes dropped 7.4% from a median of $345,450 in September to $320,000 during October. The median sales price of condominiums and townhomes is down 5.9% from the median of $340,000 in October 2024. 

Florida’s 2026 Legislative Session opens Tuesday under the unmistakable shadow of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ final full year in office before term limits require a change in Tallahassee.

After DeSantis first took office in 2019, he set about reshaping Florida government, particularly following the COVID pandemic. Under his tenure, Florida has consistently ranked near the top in national comparisons for higher education, business formation and tourism — metrics the administration regularly touts as evidence of economic strength and growth.

At the same time, DeSantis’ policymaking has been deeply polarizing. From education reforms focused on culture-war fights and exerting influence over public universities, to aggressive immigration enforcement initiatives and high-profile clashes with Disney, his agenda has sharpened the state’s political divide.

He also exerted arguably the most power over the Legislature as any Governor in modern Florida history. But notably, entering his final year in office, that influence has waned.

Once viewed as a GOP rising star nationwide, his standing in the broader Republican electorate diminished after a decisive 2024 Presidential Primary loss. And he hasn’t appeared to foster a successor to take over once he departs office (more on that later).

Of course, the Regular Session won’t be the only chance for DeSantis to flex his policy muscle, with multiple Special Sessions apparently on the horizon (more on that later as well). This year will feature plenty of opportunities for DeSantis to either reassert his legacy — whether it be with property taxes, redistricting or elsewhere — or be stonewalled again by GOP lawmakers showing a renewed willingness to assert their authority.

As the gavel falls Tuesday, the focus will be on policy and process. But beneath it all run decisions that will help define how Florida remembers the DeSantis era.

Now, it’s onto our weekly game of winners and losers.

Winners

Honorable mention: Miami Hurricanes. The Miami Hurricanes have once again earned the chance to do something that has eluded the program for more than two decades: being crowned the top team in college football.

Nothing is a done deal yet, but Miami’s path to the championship has been especially notable. They defeated Texas A&M in Round 1 after many — especially Notre Dame fans — argued the College Football Committee never should have let Miami in the Playoff in the first place.

Their Round 2 matchup featured a face-off with last year’s champions, the Ohio State Buckeyes. Coincidentally, that’s the same team Miami played in their last championship game, when the referees robbed the Hurricanes of a second straight title on a ridiculous pass interference call on what should’ve been the game’s final play.

Consider that robbery avenged after the Hurricanes dominated a team many saw as the best in college football.

Cut to the semifinal matchup against a Cinderella team in Ole Miss in what turned out to be a classic. The site of that game? The Fiesta Bowl, the site of that aforementioned robbery. The Canes once again were victorious.

Having excised all demons, Miami will now play for the title in a de facto home game, with the championship game having been scheduled at Hard Rock Stadium, where the Hurricanes play at home during the regular season.

For a program that once defined the sport’s cutting edge, the moment carries weight well beyond a single postseason run. Miami’s path to the title game capped a season in which the Hurricanes moved from “improving” to “arrived,” navigating a playoff field designed to reward consistency, depth and resilience rather than brand name alone. In a new CFP era with expanded access and little margin for error, Miami cleared every bar put in front of it.

The playoff run has also brought plenty of financial upside through revenue, television exposure and merchandising, while reinforcing the university’s profile as a blue-blood program..

Miami has cycled through coaches and rebuilds since its last national title appearance. Advancing to the championship suggests the current approach — from roster construction to player development — is finally producing results that longtime fans have been waiting for.

Florida used to be the pinnacle of college football. Miami has a chance next week to cap off a miracle run and perhaps launch a new era of Sunshine State dominance. But for a team that wasn’t even expected to qualify for the College Football Playoff, they’re already playing with house money.

Almost (but not quite) the biggest winner: Charlie Crist. Crist didn’t announce an official comeback this week. He didn’t hold a rally or roll out a policy platform. But the numbers did plenty of talking on his behalf.

A political committee tied to Crist reported raising more than $725,000 in just seven weeks — an amount that appears to be unprecedented at this stage of a municipal contest in St. Petersburg and one that instantly elevated his potential candidacy for Mayor.

The committee’s report showed dozens of maxed-out checks and a donor list that looked far more like a statewide campaign than a municipal one. Labor groups, trial lawyers, longtime Democratic donors and Crist allies from across Florida all showed up early, and they showed up big.

In local races, money tends to trickle in slowly. Not here.

The fundraising answers lingering questions about Crist’s post-Congress political viability. After losses at the gubernatorial level and years away from local office, skeptics wondered whether donor enthusiasm would follow him home.

This report suggests the network is intact — and eager. The early surge suggests Crist can tap networks far beyond the city limits once he chooses to move forward, giving him plenty of resources to take on an incumbent Mayor.

The biggest winner: Marco Rubio. Rubio and the rest of the Donald Trump administration are celebrating what could be one of the most consequential foreign policy developments in recent U.S. history: the United States carrying out a military operation in Caracas that resulted in the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife.

Rubio’s role in shaping the U.S. response to Maduro long predates this week’s events. The Florida Republican has spent more than a decade making Venezuela a focal point of his foreign policy agenda. As a Senator, Rubio was an early and persistent critic of the Maduro regime, accusing it of narcoterrorism, corruption and electoral fraud and pushing for escalating sanctions, asset freezes and economic pressure on Caracas.

In 2025, the U.S. government doubled the reward for information leading to Maduro’s arrest to $50 million — the largest bounty ever placed on a foreign head of state — a move aligned with Rubio’s “maximum pressure” strategy.

Now Secretary of State, Rubio has articulated a three‑phase strategy for Venezuela post-Maduro that begins with stabilization, moves through economic recovery and aims toward a political transition. Central to that plan is leveraging control over Venezuelan oil revenues — an idea Rubio emphasized in congressional briefings and press statements this week.

In the days since Maduro’s capture, interim Venezuelan authorities have begun releasing political prisoners and signaled tentative cooperation with U.S. officials on diplomatic and oil‑sector matters, a dramatic shift from years of hostility.

There has been plenty of legitimate criticism of the U.S. conducting a military strike in a sovereign capital, particularly given Trump’s years of public aversion to regime change and forever wars.

But the administration is banking on this being a success, and if it is, Rubio’s fingerprints are all over it. His sustained focus on Venezuela helped shape the strategic framing and congressional briefing process behind the scenes, and this week’s outcomes reflect a culmination of years of advocacy on the issue.

Losers

Dishonorable mention: Jay Collins. The latest polling data of the 2026 Governor’s race is making it increasingly clear that the Lieutenant Governor’s prospects of gaining traction in the contest are sputtering.

A new Fabrizio, Lee & Associates survey lays out a GOP Primary contest where U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds holds a commanding lead among likely Republican voters — not just ahead of the pack, but far ahead in nearly every hypothetical matchup. In polling that included Collins, Donalds led him by nearly 40 points, with Donalds posting 45% support to Collins’ 6%.

Recent snapshots of the gubernatorial Primary landscape show Donalds consistently dominating the field, while contenders such as Collins, Paul Renner and others have mostly remained mired in low single digits.

For Collins, the numbers are stark: Despite a high-profile television ad buy in late 2025 and periodic commentary aimed at distinguishing himself from Donalds on issues, the polling needle hasn’t budged.

In a crowded GOP primary where Donalds has the Trump endorsement, sizable early fundraising and sustained public support, Collins faces a steep uphill climb just to break out of the single-digits. At this stage of the race, Collins’ potential run for Governor is looking less and less wise.

Almost (but not quite) the biggest loser: Miccosukee Tribe. Congress failed to override Trump’s veto of a bill designed to provide flood protections and land status clarification for the tribe’s Osceola Camp area in the Everglades.

The legislation at the center of the fight, the Miccosukee Reserved Area Amendments Act, was a bipartisan measure introduced by U.S. Rep. Carlos Giménez that had cleared both the House and Senate without opposition. The bill would have formally expanded the Miccosukee Reserved Area to include Osceola Camp, which has long been home to tribal members.

But late last month, Trump used his veto power — one of his first vetoes of his second term — to reject the measure, casting it as an unnecessary taxpayer burden and linking it to the Tribe’s opposition to Alligator Alcatraz in the Everglades. In his veto message, the President argued the Tribe “has actively sought to obstruct reasonable immigration policies” and that federal support for the project wasn’t warranted.

When lawmakers attempted to override that veto Thursday, they fell short of the two-thirds majority required in the House. The vote to uphold Trump’s decision fell at 236-188, with enough GOP members siding with the President to prevent the override.

The biggest loser: Post-Session vacation plans. If anyone was hoping to pencil in a quiet Spring getaway once the Legislature gavels out, this week delivered a reality check.

Florida’s Regular Session hasn’t even convened yet — it begins Tuesday and is scheduled to run until March 13 — but the calendar is already filling up beyond Sine Die. Gov. Ron DeSantis has formally called one Special Session for April to take up redistricting, and he has openly floated another focused on property tax changes.

The April Special Session is locked in. Lawmakers will be called back to Tallahassee to redraw congressional maps after an expected major decision by the U.S. Supreme Court. That alone would be enough to complicate travel plans for legislators, staffers, lobbyists and the press corps who typically treat March as the finish line. But DeSantis’ comments about a possible property tax Special Session suggest the April return trip may not be the last.

Property taxes are a politically heavy lift, one that would require significant debate, bill drafting and negotiation. If the Governor follows through, that means another round of committee-style work, floor sessions and late nights — all after lawmakers have already logged the usual grind of 60 days — or more.

Multiple Special Sessions will compress the expected downtime this year or erase it altogether. And don’t forget about the August Primary and Midterm Elections come November.

DeSantis has shown a willingness to use Special Sessions as an extension of his governing strategy, keeping lawmakers engaged — and available — to advance priorities on his timetable.

That may be useful for a Governor trying to maintain momentum and fight off lame-duck status. But for anyone hoping March would mark the end of long days, crowded calendars and burning hotel points in Tallahassee, you might want to keep the suitcase handy.

Georgia vs Arkansas vs Florida State

• January 10, 2026
• Athens, GA — Gabrielsen Natatorium
• SCY (25 Yards)
• Full Meet Results
• Team Scores Women
  • #14 Georgia 170 — Florida State 116
  • #14 Georgia 169 — Arkansas 124
  • Arkansas 195 — Florida State 101
• Team Scores Men
  • #4 Georgia 183.5 — #10 Florida State 114.5

The Georgia Bulldogs swept Florida State and the women also took down Arkansas in their first dual meet of 2026. The Arkansas women beat Florida State in their dual, 195 to 101.

Women’s Meet Recap

The #14 ranked UGA women easily defeated Florida State and Arkansas in their double dual meet on Saturday, outscoring Florida State by more than 50 and Arkansas by more than 40.

Despite earning the overall win, the Georgia women did not take home either relay titles, but they had the fastest times in most of the individual events.

Freshman Kennedi Dobson continued to build on her strong NCAA season, taking home three event wins with the top times in the 1000 free, 200 back, and 500 free. In the 1000, she swam 9:29.05, a new personal best time and the 3rd fastest time in the country this season.

She also swam the 200 back and 500 free double, which sees only the 200 breast come in between, setting a new best time in the 200 back of 1:53.66 and in the 500 free, she swam 4:39.48 for the win.

The only other Georgia swimmer to set the fastest time in multiple events was Ieva Maluka. She won the 200 fly in 1:56.29, a new season best time. She also had the fastest time in the 200 IM, touching in 1:58.11, but the Bulldogs exhibitioned the last event to allow Arkansas and Florida State to score more points.

Charlotte Headland and Elizabeth Nawrocki split the breaststroke events for Georgia. Headland swam the 100 breast in a personal best 1:00.50, building on her progression this season. She came into the year at 1:01.39, and has dropped three times since then.

Nawrocki, a freshman, swam 2:11.48, just missing her personal and season best of 2:08.44 This swim was still more than a second faster than the 2:13.00 she started college with.

Marie Landreneau won the women’s 200 freestyle for Georgia, touching in 1:44.46 to beat teammate Shea Furse‘s 1:46.77 by a little over two seconds.

Finally, senior Olivia Della Torre won the 100 fly in 53.09, just off her season and personal best of 52.95 from the UGA Fall Invitational.

Arkansas bested Florida State in their dual meet, due, in part, to the strong performance from Harriet Rogers. Rogers won both the 50 and 100 free, swimming 22.23 in the 50 and 48.77 in the 100 to earn the top spots.

Holly Robinson won the 200 IM with her 2:03.06 coming in as the fastest non-Georgia swimmer, so she won the event, picking up nine points for the Razorbacks.

Arkansas also won the 400 free relay. Tammy Greenwood led off in 49.69. Rogers swam 48.38. Delaney Harrison was 3rd in 49.54, and Viola Petrini swam 49.73.

They also had the top two divers at the meet with Lotti Hubert earning the top spot on the 1 meter board in 314.75, leading three other Razorbacks to take the top four overall spots in the event. The 3 meter went to Maria Jose Sanchez in 348.00, more than 20 points ahead of 2nd place Kayleigh Clark from Florida State.

Florida State won one individual event and one relay. They started the meet with a win in the 200 medley relay with their team of Alice Velden (24.50), Martina Fanunza (28.07), Maryn McDade (22.95), and Mary Leigh Hardman (22.20) swimming 1:37.72 to beat the Georgia ‘A’ team by half-a-second.

Velden also won the 100 backstroke in 53.76, missing her season best of 52.40 by about a second.

Men’s Meet Recap

The men’s meet was just a dual meet between Georgia and Florida State, and the Bulldogs came out on top, scoring 183.5 points to Florida State’s 114.5.

Georgia won both relays, starting with the top time in the 200 medley relay where they swam 1:24.38 to come in just two tenths ahead of Florida State. Luca Urlando led off for Georgia, splitting 21.10 to earn the Georgia team a near seven tenth lead. Elliot Woodburn was 23.94 on the breaststroke, Ruard Van Renen split 20.18 on the butterfly, and Tane Bidois was 19.16 on the freestyle.

Florida State’s relay consisted of Max Wilson (21.77), Tommaso Baravelli (23.72), Michel Arkhangelskiy (19.91), and Sam Bork (19.20), and they touched in 1:24.60.

The 400 freestyle relay was made up of Van Renen (43.26), Tomas Koski (42.81), Bidois (43.04), and Luke Sandberg (43.21) swimming 2:52.32 to win the event by more than two seconds.

Luca Urlando won three events for the Bulldogs, swimming 1:39.59 in the 200 fly to win by almost four seconds over teammate Drew Hitchcock. He also won the 100 fly in 45.27, coming in more than a second ahead of Florida State’s Michel Arkhangelskiy‘s 46.72

Urlando also swam the 200 IM for the first time this season, touching in 1:42.95, the 15th fastest time in the country this season.

Georgia freshman Sean Green won two events, swimming 8:57.64 in the 1000 and 4:19.57 in the 500.

Hayden Meyers and Ruard Van Renen split the backstroke events. Van Renen won the 100 back in 44.68 and Meyers won the 200 back in 1:41.66.

Florida State picked up event wins in both distances of breaststroke and the 50 and 100 freestyles. Michel Arkhangelskiy won the 50 free in 19.64 and he won the 100 free in 42.92, off his season best times in both.

Tommaso Baravelli won the 100 breast for the Seminoles in 53.63, coming in more than half-a-second ahead of teammate Liam O’Connor‘s 54.26 in 2nd.

Mathias Christensen won the 200 breast in 1:57.15, just 17 hundredths ahead of Georgia’s Cale Martter, who swam 1:57.32.

Up Next

Georgia will race Tennessee on January 24th in Knoxville.

Florida State will host Florida on January 30th.

Arkansas will race kansas on January 23rd in Kansas.