Florida homebuyers getting cold feet? Many more are walking away from purchases
More homebuyers have been backing out of home-purchase agreements in many parts of Florida and across the U.S., a new analysis shows. Florida and Texas are seeing more newly built homes “than anywhere else in the country,” leading some buyers to back out of deals because they feel they might find a better option, according to Redfin, a real estate data and service provider. About 53,000 home-purchase agreements — or 15.1% of homes that went under contract in October — got canceled in the U.S. that month. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Legislature focused on cutting homestead property taxes as cities, counties raise concerns
Republicans in the Florida House are quickly moving forward on a smorgasbord of ballot initiatives that would ask voters to dramatically overhaul the state’s property taxes — deepening the anxiety for local officials who rely on those funds for their budgets. When the Legislature convenes January 13 for its regular 60-day session, House lawmakers will have seven tax proposals they want to pass and then present to voters in November of 2026. It is far from the first time the Florida Legislature has tackled property tax reform, but the latest proposals may be the most dramatic. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Some Florida homebuyers are using AI to get homes without agents, saving thousands
Homebuyers in Florida have quietly begun closing on homes without using an agent — relying instead on artificial intelligence to search listings, generate offers and draft contracts. Tech startup Homa says at least 10 homes have already closed end-to-end using its AI-powered system, with several more deals currently in escrow — a shift that could challenge a commission-driven industry already rattled by a recent landmark National Association of Realtors settlement. [Source: New York Post]
Looking to buy a home in 2026? Here’s what to expect in South Florida
It’s a buyer’s market in South Florida, but that may not last for long into the new year. In 2025, the local real estate market was soft, with high insurance costs and mortgage rates, uncertainty in the condo market and demand that’s continuing to cool following pandemic-era highs. But the Federal Reserve has been cutting interest rates, and mortgage rates are expected to drop in the new year, too. [Source: Miami Herald]
How this Florida barrier island community pushed back against overdevelopment
Picture this: A sandy, 25-mile stretch of beach, just a three-hour drive from Miami but devoid of grocery stores or gas stations, restaurants, bars or hotels. Instead, sea turtles nest on the beach, their hatchlings’ sense of orientation protected by dark-sky rules and long-term residents who know to handle them with care on their extensive strolls along a quiet, windswept beach. Welcome to Brevard County’s southern barrier island, one of the least developed areas on Florida’s Atlantic coast. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Chicago Tribune.
$19 million
Never occupied, a house completed about a year ago by the late Palm Beach businessman and real estate investor Malcolm “Mal” McCloskey and his widow, Angela, has sold for a recorded $19 million near the Intracoastal Waterway in Midtown. [Source: Palm Beach Daily News]
› 10 Tampa Bay real estate developments to watch in 2026
You can’t throw a stone in the Tampa Bay area without hitting a construction site. A population explosion during the COVID-19 pandemic helped put the region on the map, attracting developers and investors from near and far. Some of that growth has since evened out. But rapidly rising skylines and once-sleepy blocks now teeming with energy serve as visible proof of the change that’s taken root.
› Mega developments in Southwest Florida on the rise from Cape Coral to Big Cypress
In Lee and Collier counties, thousands of new homes are under construction and more have been approved. What's coming out of the ground, and will you be able to afford it? From single-family homes to apartments and assisted living communities, nothing is off the table when it comes to new construction in Southwest Florida, except perhaps less land. Homes are being built on smaller and smaller lots and construction is pushing into rural areas and even butting up against conservation lands.
› What to know about Orlando's residential real estate market in 2026
The Central Florida housing market had both buyers and sellers facing headwinds in 2025. Going into 2026, Orlando Business Journal updated the most important residential real estate statistics from this year, sharing the biggest trends to watch. Overall, the housing market is largely stagnant with sales activity lower, especially when compared to the hottest years just after the pandemic when inventory was low and selling quickly.
› New York firm leads Miami AI real estate startup's multimillion-dollar raise
A South Florida startup that offers a direct-to-consumer real estate marketplace has raised $2.5 million in a seed round. The funding for Miami-based Beycome was led by New York-based InsurTech Fund. Other participants included Pivot Ventures, the Florida Opportunity Fund, RedShift Capital, Neer Venture Capital, Kima Ventures, Ignite Venture and Founders Future.