As Florida’s housing market cools, sellers are now getting squeezed — but it’s no buyer’s paradise either

Florida might still be basking in sunshine, but its once-sizzling housing market has simmered down. Sellers, squeezed by skyrocketing insurance premiums, softening demand and growing inventory, are cutting prices, covering closing costs and easing up on contingencies just to seal the deal. But is this shift a buyer’s paradise? According to real estate experts, the Florida housing story is more complicated than simply buyer-friendly. More from MoneyWise and Yahoo Finance.

Wealthy home buyers are flocking to Jupiter—and not just for the golf

On southeastern Florida’s Atlantic Ocean coast is Palm Beach County, a roughly 50-mile-long stretch with about 40 intertwining communities, ranging from cities to hamlets. Toward the northern end is Jupiter, with a population of about 61,000. The beachy city with a classic Old Florida feel is a mecca for golfers, especially professional ones. Still, golf isn’t the only reason people live in Jupiter. Residents also seek it out for favorable taxes, good schools and proximity to multiple airports. [Source: Wall Street Journal]

Can South Florida's commercial real estate market moderate without breaking?

South Florida has weathered a storm that has wreaked havoc in San Francisco, Chicago and New York. The value of some office buildings in those central business districts has plummeted in recent years as companies made hybrid work permanent, vacancies increased and higher interest rates made refinancing mortgages more expensive. But Miami, Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach have not experienced those same challenges. [Source: WLRN]

Florida’s single-family rental market is resilient, but not without risk

Florida’s growth story is well-documented, and it continues to fuel demand for rental housing. However, this rapid population growth comes with challenges for the single-family rental market. Infrastructure, schools, and public services often lag behind and can create quality of life challenges. [Source: Housing Wire]

Why Miami has the worst mortgage rates in the country

A mortgage in South Florida is more expensive than any other large market in the country. It's yet another challenge for prospective home owners in South Florida, which has become one of the most expensive residential real estate markets in the country since 2020. Higher interest rates have driven up borrowing costs for people who need to finance home purchases, essentially giving buyers less bang for their buck. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]

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Six of the top 10 buyer’s markets are in Florida. [Source: Redfin]

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› Topping $5 billion: Thousands of new homes lift Palm Beach County’s new-construction value [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The value of new construction in Palm Beach County will top $5 billion this year as thousands of new residences are added. This is according to Palm Beach County Property Appraiser Dorothy Jacks, who recently told county commissioners about the state of the market from last year and what to expect this year. New construction value also hit $5 billion in taxable value in 2024 with nearly 6,500 “new livable units added to the tax roll for 2025,” Jacks said during a recent public County Commission meeting.

› Nonprofit flips historic vacation homes into Orlando affordable housing [Click Orlando]
Some of the boarded-up homes, with no signs of life, are beginning to disappear around the West Lakes Community. For the past five years, the West Lakes Partnership has raised money to buy these homes and flip them into affordable single-family homes to sell to low to moderate-income families. “It’s about $150,000 at the low end and averages about $175,000. That’s because we have to completely gut nothing left other than the masonry on the building,” Executive Director Timothy Ayers said.

› $12 million ‘Magic Mike’ house is for sale in Tierra Verde [Tampa Bay Times]
A gulf-front mansion that made a cameo in the movie “Magic Mike” is now on the market. The asking price is $12 million. Located at 100 Sands Point Dr. in Tierra Verde, the 7,825-square-foot house features five bedrooms, four full bathrooms and two half bathrooms. Jennifer Zales, the listing agent with Coldwell Banker Realty, called it “among the most notable properties in Tierra Verde.”

› Jacksonville multifamily market cools as developers recalibrate amid shifting trends [Jacksonville Business Journal]
After years of rapid expansion, Jacksonville’s multifamily housing market is entering a new phase: slower, more strategic and potentially more resilient. The construction boom that added more than 21,000 new units to the First Coast between 2020 and 2023 has decisively cooled. As of early 2025, multifamily permitting and starts have dropped sharply, with developers recalibrating their strategies amid higher capital costs, softening rents and shifts in investor preferences.

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