A weekly alert that contains in-depth news, information, insight and analysis on the most critical real estate related issues and topics facing Florida.
Florida: In choppy 2026, one state is many homebuilding markets
It may come as a surprise amid the noise, negativity, and volatility in today’s new-home market that Florida remains one of the most dynamic homebuilding markets in the country. While conditions in many parts of the Sunshine State are full of challenges, taken as a whole, Florida shows surprising resilience. Not all markets in the state are created equal, however. [Source: Housing Wire]
Crypto moves into home financing
Prospective homebuyers who have invested in certain cryptocurrencies will be able to use their holdings as collateral to fund their down payment on a home as part of a new mortgage offering. Real estate services company Better Home & Finance Holding Co. plans to roll out the crypto-backed mortgage sometime in the next three months in a partnership with crypto trading platform Coinbase. [Source: Florida Reators]
Column: Florida real estate listings shouldn’t mislead about property taxes
Every week, homeowners call or visit their county property appraiser with the same unpleasant surprise: Their property tax bill is far higher than they expected when they bought their home. The bad news typically arrives after the new owner crosses their first Jan. 1 of ownership. This is when the lender notifies the homeowner that their escrow payment must increase to cover higher taxes. Fortunately, the Florida Legislature appears poised to embrace transparency and eliminate these property tax surprises. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Inside America’s most guarded enclave: A rare look at Florida’s ‘no budget’ billionaire bunker
Just a stone’s throw from the relentless horn-honking of Surfside and the designer-clad crowds of Bal Harbour Shops, Indian Creek Village exists in a vacuum of enforced peace. There are no sirens or tourists, and certainly no uninvited guests — only the whistle of the Atlantic wind and the rhythmic clap of waves against private piers. [Source: FOX Business]
Florida braces for short sale surge as FHA relief ends
Florida’s housing market, already cooling after the pandemic boom, is confronting a fresh wave of distress. In 2025, the Sunshine State posted the nation’s highest foreclosure rate: one filing for every 230 housing units, according to ATTOM data, topping even Texas and California, which had more than 34,000 starts. Metro hotspots like Lakeland (one in 145 units) and Punta Gorda led the surge. [Source: Florida Politics]
STAT OF THE WEEK
16%
Martin County’s median sale price was $544,500 in February, about 16% less than it was one year earlier. [Source: TC Palm]
› This Florida city is offering a $10K incentive to build an ADU [Realtor.com]
omeowners in Orlando, FL, can now get more than $10,000 in rebates to build accessory dwelling units on their property and rent them out as workforce housing. The ADU Incentive Program—which was approved by the City Council last month—provides financial incentives for homeowners who construct ADUs and lease them at an affordable rate.
› South Florida by the numbers: Behind the workforce housing surge [The Real Deal]
Alongside Miami’s record-breaking luxury and penthouse sales, another kind of real estate story is reshaping the city, measured not in price per square foot, but in thousands of units at a time. A wave of workforce and affordable housing development is gaining serious momentum, driven by public-private partnerships, state incentives and relentless demand from a growing population priced out of market-rate housing.
› Developers break ground on affordable housing project in St. Augustine backed by Florida Live Local Act [News 4 Jax]
Madison Capital Group and Madison Communities broke ground on Wednesday for Madison Seagrass, a 232-unit multifamily community planned off State Road 16 in St. Augustine, a project the developers say will include affordable housing set aside under Florida’s Live Local Act. Madison Seagrass is being promoted as part of the company’s growing development pipeline in high-growth Florida markets. The developers said the project will provide apartments serving the St. Augustine area and the broader Northeast Florida region.
› 4 Trop redevelopment proposals recommended for shortlisting [Tampa Bay Times]
A panel of St. Petersburg officials is recommending half of the eight proposals to redevelop the Historic Gas Plant District for a shortlist. According to evaluation forms obtained Friday by the Tampa Bay Times in a public records request, proposals submitted by the Pinellas County Housing Authority, Blake Investment Partners, Foundation Vision Partners and Ark Ellison Horus were favored over others.