Florida home buyers stop waiting for mortgage rates to fall
Florida home sales saw an increase in May for the ninth consecutive month as concerns over rising mortgage rates begin to ease. The median sale price for a single-family home in Florida rose to $425,000 in May, a 4.3% increase from the previous year. Despite some reports labeling it a risky market, experts believe a housing crash in Florida is unlikely due to continued population growth. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Why are 1 in 7 homes for sale nationwide in Florida?
The state now accounts for roughly one in seven homes listed for sale across the entire United States, or about 1.8 times its share of the country’s total housing stock. Florida’s active listing count is now down about 14% year over year as of the end of June, reversing the buildup that defined the state’s market over the prior two years. [Source: The Deep Dive]
Avoiding AI deed fraud in Florida: What property owners need to know
Florida’s burgeoning real estate market faces a growing problem of deed and property fraud, magnified by the development of AI and the state’s large population of vulnerable individuals, such as senior citizens. This has led some to name South Florida the “title fraud capital of the world.” According to 2025 statistics, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center received over 12,000 real estate-related complaints, representing losses exceeding $275 million. [Source: Housing Wire]
New Florida law allows school districts to build affordable housing
A new law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis could reshape neighborhoods across Florida. The updated Live Local Act now allows school districts to build affordable housing on parcels that are three acres or larger-regardless of current zoning. As districts statewide shut down schools and consider what to do with unused land, some single-family neighborhoods could soon see affordable apartment developments built in place of former campuses. [Source: Click Orlando]
Tax deadline may loom for Florida — Will it sway more out-of-state buyers?
lorida Gov. Ron DeSantis recently unveiled an ambitious plan that would eliminate property taxes on the majority of owner-occupied homes in the state. But so far, real estate agents say a potential deadline to reap the benefits hasn't had much impact on the market. If it passes, property tax relief would immediately apply only to those who can prove they owned a home when the law takes effect on Jan. 1. Homeowners who purchase their homes after the law kicks in would be required to pay up to five years of property taxes.[Source: Realtor.com]
$60
A survey from the online commercial real estate marketplace LoopNet showed Miami has the highest average office rent —nearly $60 a square foot — of 50 U.S. cities. [Source: Miami Herald]
› Inside the Florida HOA ‘disharmony’ in one of nation’s wealthiest ZIP codes
HOA disputes don’t just happen in the suburbs. On Fisher Island, one of the wealthiest ZIP codes in the country, there’s a big one. And it’s not just over mundane condo issues like roof repairs or swimming pool maintenance. This dispute, played out in a series of chats on WhatsApp, is over a real estate deal that could be worth hundreds of millions on a prized slice of the private island in Biscayne Bay.
› Palm Beach property values up about 5.7%, new round of estimates shows
Palm Beach's property values have seen a 5.67% increase from last year, reaching an estimated market value of $59.26 billion. Since the coronavirus pandemic began in 2020, the town's estimated property market values have more than doubled. Officials will use these preliminary figures to help prepare budgets and set tax rates for the upcoming year.
› NAIOP Northeast Florida adopts name change
NAIOP Northeast Florida, a leading regional commercial real estate trade association in the region, is changing its name as part of a national rebranding. The new name is Commercial Real Estate Development Association Northeast Florida. The regional chapter announced the change in a July 1 news release, saying the new name “builds on the association’s longstanding industry leadership while positioning it for the future.”
› Commercial real estate firm makes Florida debut
An out-of-state commercial real estate platform has selected downtown Miami for its first location in Florida. New York-based Surmount signed a lease for 3,100 square feet of dedicated office space in the One Downtown building. Terms and financial details weren’t disclosed. “South Florida has always been a core market for Surmount,” Chief of Staff and Head of Strategy Brett Lichtenberg told the Business Journal. “What’s made Florida even more central to our business in recent years is the broader migration and investment shift.”