Florida housing market turns a corner as sales, prices rise in March

After a so-so year in 2025, Realtors in Florida ended this year's first quarter on a roll with an uptick in both sale prices for homes as well as the number sold. The $420,000 median sale price for existing single-family homes sold in March — meaning half sold for more and half for less — was the highest in 21 months, according to the latest numbers from the Florida Realtors association. The 24,497 closed sales of homes for the month was up 5.9% from 23,128 a year ago and the most sold in 10 months. [Source: Florida Today]

The call for smaller lot sizes to ease Florida’s housing crisis

Although officials say there’s no “silver bullet” to cure Florida’s affordable housing crisis, an argument that smaller lot sizes can be a significant part of the solution was the topic of a panel discussion last week at the Florida Housing Solutions Summit. The day-long forum was organized by the Florida Policy Project, a think tank created by former Republican state Sen. Jeff Brandes after he left the Legislature in 2023. It came days after The Wall Street Journal reported that net domestic migration in Florida has slowed after an influx of wealthy people from other states helped drive up home prices. [Source: Florida Phoenix]

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» Florida housing affordability takes center stage at policy summit

Major changes issued for condo mortgage requirements

Mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac recently issued significant updates to their condominium lending guidelines that will expand financial reviews to more properties and add flexibility to the insurance requirements. While some of the changes will create new complexities, others will provide relief for condominium communities seeking to comply in order for their units to qualify for conventional mortgages. [Source: Miami Herald]

Ag ‘enclave’ law opens new housing opportunities

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill last week allowing single-family homes to be built on some property zoned for agriculture. The measure (SB 686) allows agricultural land bordered by development to be classified as an “agricultural enclave” and developed to the same density as adjacent parcels. Bill sponsors claimed the measure is about “property rights,” while critics argued the changes weaken Florida’s growth-management framework. [Source: Florida Realtors]

Cities with the most expensive homes in Florida

Although home prices have inflated all across the U.S., there are some cities that command a higher price tag than others. Location, size, age, and condition are all contributing factors to home value. Stacker compiled a list of cities with the most expensive homes in Florida using data from Zillow. Cities are ranked by the Zillow Home Values Index for all homes as of March 2026. [Source: Stacker]

STAT OF THE WEEK
$237 million
The Florida mansion made famous by the legendary movie “Scarface” is up for sale. The Key Biscayne waterfront home has an asking price of $237 million. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

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› A Florida golf course closed 15 years ago. Now, 500 homes on the way [Tampa Bay Times]
After a years-long dispute over the redevelopment of a shuttered golf course in West Kendall, the Miami-Dade County Commission voted to clear the way for a developer to build 524 homes on the site. Commissioners voted 8-5 on Thursday to approve a zoning change that will allow developer GL Homes to build hundreds of single-family homes on the 168-acre site off Southwest 127th Avenue near Killian Parkway.

› First Coast luxury housing remains strong, but the market is growing more selective [Jacksonville Business Journal]
The First Coast’s luxury housing story is still being written in shades of strength, but the color is no longer uniform. Ponte Vedra Beach leads Jacksonville's luxury market at $819,000 average home price. Most ZIP codes show year-over-year price declines after pandemic-era appreciation surge. Luxury buyers now prioritize advanced construction and wellness amenities over size.

› Miami-Dade home sales rise for seventh consecutive month [Keys News]
Miami-Dade total home sales rose year-over-year for the seventh consecutive month as South Florida real estate continues to outperform national trends, according to March 2026 statistics released by the Miami Association of Realtors (MIAMI) and the Miami Southeast Florida Multiple Listing Service (SEFMLS). Total home sales increased 6.6% year-over-year. Single-family home transactions rose 10.6%, while condo sales increased 2.9%. Sales of Miami properties priced at $5 million and above climbed 27% from a year earlier. At the more accessible end of the market, condo sales in the $300,000 to $600,000 price range surged 7.1% year-over-year.

› These homes in west St. Petersburg are listed for nearly $1M. Will they sell? [Tampa Bay Times]
A St. Petersburg builder has put up five new houses on a single block of 71st Street North, betting that buyers will pay close to $1 million for farmhouse-style homes in a neighborhood where nothing else has ever sold for half that price. DHM Construction Services built the homes at 3801, 3809, 3819, 3829 and 3839 71st St. N. The two-story houses range from about 2,471 to 3,006 square feet, with three bedrooms and 2½ baths. A fifth home at 3839, the designated model, is a smaller four-bedroom, four-bath layout with solar panels installed.

Robles Park Village, a low-income housing community in Tampa, is set to be demolished