Could FEMA hurricane rules wipe out Florida’s mobile homes?
While mobile homes have provided an affordable option for generations of retirees chasing the snowbird dream, they are more vulnerable to storm damage. In the face of worsening hurricanes, some fear strict FEMA guidelines could make this lifestyle a thing of the past. Kevin McAndrew, Pinellas County’s director of building development and review, said mobile homes remain an important part of the local housing stock. Though the county is taking measures to help mobile-home owners, he said, some of these properties just aren’t safe from this growing threat. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
How a Florida law now clears the way for housing on church and school land
Affordable housing may be coming soon to a school or church near you. An amendment made to the Live Local Act during this year’s state legislative session, which concluded last month, makes it easier to build affordable housing on land owned by school districts, municipalities and houses of worship across Florida. This change, and the Live Local Act more broadly, are part of a push to address affordable housing shortages across Florida. [Source: Miami Herald]
Analysis: Florida legal reforms deliver relief to housing costs
A new analysis by the American Property Casualty Insurance Association says that when litigation costs increase, homeowners, renters and property owners ultimately pay more through higher insurance premiums, higher rents and fewer housing options. But the APCIA report notes how recent legal reforms in Florida have delivered “real relief.” Florida cracked down on legal system abuse in 2022 and 2023. Since those reforms took effect, Florida has seen homeowners insurance litigation decrease by nearly 50% in just 18 months. [Source: The Capitolist]
Florida Policy Project’s third annual housing summit to tackle affordability challenges
The Florida Policy Project is hosting its third annual Florida Housing Solutions Summit on Wednesday, bringing together policymakers, developers, community stakeholders and other housing leaders to address some of Florida’s most pressing housing challenges. The summit will tackle workforce housing development and financing; public-private partnerships; policy and regulatory solutions; data and research driving housing decisions; and scalable models for sustainable community growth. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida rents some of the least affordable, study shows
Jacksonville has the most affordable rent among major Florida cities, according to a WalletHub study. Miami was found to have the least affordable rent in the country, costing renters nearly 34% of their income. Over the past decade, rental costs have increased by more than 50%, according to the Federal Reserve’s Consumer Price Index. Home prices have also gone up. But wages haven't, which means more and more of a household's income is drained away by housing. [Source: Florida Times-Union]
57,569
As of Friday morning, there were 57,569 properties for sale on Zillow that had their listing price slashed by sellers, out of a total of 260,663 properties on the Florida market. [Source: Newsweek]
› Prolific Lakewood Ranch homebuilder posts sales boost in four counties
Neal Communities, a homebuilder based in Lakewood Ranch — and one of the busiest locally based builders in the region, with $800 million in revenue in 2024 — reports surpassing its sales goals in both Sarasota-Manatee and Lee-Collier markets in March amid what it calls a “meaningful shift in buyer activity." The builder had 102 contracted sales in March, beating its goal of 93, according to a statement.
› Jacksonville property tax bills fall below state average as effective rates climb amid cooling home values
In Florida’s property tax landscape, Jacksonville sits in a middle ground: not among the state’s most expensive markets, but not fully insulated either. The average single-family tax bill in the Jacksonville metro was lower than the statewide average in 2025, while Duval County remained below neighboring Nassau and Saint Johns counties on bill size, according to ATTOM’s latest annual analysis. Still, the region’s effective tax rate rose as home values cooled, underscoring how tax pressure can increase even when prices do not.
› Miami-Dade home sales rise yet again
Miami-Dade’s housing market extended its winning streak in March, chalking up a seventh straight month of year‑over‑year sales gains even as national existing home sales edged lower. Total closings rose 6.6% from a year earlier to 2,134, driven by double‑digit growth in single‑family deals and a fresh surge at the top of the market, according to new data from the MIAMI Association of Realtors and SEFMLS.
› Affordable senior apartments break ground in Fort Myers
Developers of a 130-unit apartment complex in Fort Myers marked a groundbreaking that will provide residents 55 and older with an affordable place to live. Housing Trust Group, a Coconut Grove-based company specializing in affordable housing, was joined by local elected officials it credited with helping bring Legacy Park II to fruition. The development is being built on two parcels across from one another at 2650 Oak Ridge Court, off Evans Avenue, between Colonial Boulevard and Winkler Avenue.