Southwest Florida Has One of the Hottest Markets in America

All across the nation real estate has been booming for the last couple of years and it is only increasing. One of the hottest markets in the entire country right now is Southwest Florida. Numbers from November 2021 showed that Southwest Florida has about 0.3 months of inventory across Callier, Lee, and Charlotte Counties. This number is down 80% of where it should be to see a balanced market.

Much of this is due to strong buyer demand and high competition from institutional investors and a slowing number of new homes being built. There are also a few homeowners waiting a little bit longer to list their homes partly due to the fact that finding a replacement property would put them into the highly competitive buyer pool.

Why do so many people want to move to Southwest Florida more than any other location in the country?

It’s unbelievably gorgeous here

Not only is the scenery stunning, but the weather is great and there’s so much to enjoy in southwest Florida from boating, fishing, kayaking, golfing, beachcombing, seashell collecting, and many more activities to enjoy. All in the amazing outdoor weather that can be enjoyed all year long.

Locations like Sanibel and Captiva Islands give homebuyers a place to relax in a quieter area of Florida while enjoying what everybody loves most about this southern state. The sugary white sand beaches, the sunshine, and the countless activities.

Proximity to the Southwest Florida International Airport

Southwest Florida has many dream destination locations in itself, but homebuyers are still looking for locations that allow them to easily travel to other parts of the world. Or easily travel into on a frequent basis. The Southwest Florida International Airport is currently ranked number one out of 50 airports in the United States. It has recovered 60% of its pre-pandemic traffic which is more than any other airport. It really is a pleasant place to base your air travel from.

The airport is under construction with a new $80 million airport traffic control tower and there are plans to build a $280 million 200,000 square-foot terminal expansion. This indicates expected growth as well as much more ease of service and many more flight capabilities.

The Covid Effect on Real Estate and the Aftermath

Not many people like to talk about things concerning the pandemic as it can be overwhelming and just plain tiring, but there are many things that shifted what was comfortable and normal. Real estate was a huge area in which people saw such change during this time.

Massive shutdowns at the beginning and people being unable to travel to dream destinations (such as taking a Caribbean cruise) left many Americans spending a lot more time within the confines of their home reassessing what home really meant to them.

With a larger number of people working from home at the beginning of the pandemic and continuing to be able to do so, several people shifted their ideal location to live. Many city dwellers found themselves trading crowded urban locations for dream ones in much quieter areas where the outdoor spaces were more abundant and much more beautiful. The ability to work from anywhere caused a big shift in where people wanted to live.

Another driving factor of interest in homes in southwest Florida, including Sanibel and Captiva Island, was the highly increased interest in using a vacation rental home as a means to still enjoy vacation instead of using hotels. Historically low mortgage interest rates also opened up possibilities for many buyers to purchase a second home in a location that they truly love.

Proximity to the Southwest Florida International Airport

Southwest Florida has many dream destination locations in itself, but homebuyers are still looking for locations that allow them to easily travel to other parts of the world. Or easily travel into on a frequent basis. The Southwest Florida International Airport is currently ranked number one out of 50 airports in the United States. It has recovered 60% of its pre-pandemic traffic which is more than any other airport. It really is a pleasant place to base your air travel from.

The airport is under construction with a new $80 million airport traffic control tower and there are plans to build a $280 million 200,000 square-foot terminal expansion. This indicates expected growth as well as much more ease of service and many more flight capabilities.

If you live in Southwest Florida, especially on Sanibel or Captiva Island, you already well know that there is no better place to be.

If you are looking for more information on real estate on Sanibel Island or Captiva Island, please contact us anytime.

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