Florida real estate is quietly correcting, and most people still think it's a one-way bet.
Cape Coral down 22% from peak. Fort Myers -19%. Sarasota -14%. These aren't rounding errors.
Meanwhile Miami is only -2%, West Palm -4%. The divergence tells you everything: speculative coastal markets that ran too hot are getting hit hardest. The "move to Florida" narrative peaked in 2022. Insurance costs are brutal. Property taxes are rising. Climate risk is real.
This is what happens when everyone buys the same story at the same time. Prices don't go up forever just because everyone wants to live somewhere. Supply catches up, sentiment shifts, and suddenly you're underwater on a condo in Cape Coral.
If you bought Florida real estate in 2021-2022 chasing yield or lifestyle, you're probably fine long-term. But if you levered up expecting quick appreciation, you're learning an expensive lesson about timing and liquidity.
Real estate is local. Always has been. A 22% drawdown in one market while another holds flat isn't a bug, it's a feature. Know what you own and why you own it.