Canadian Snowbirds Warned Off Sunbelt and Florida
An interesting editorial from the National Post of Canada by Diane Francis is not a ringing endorsement for Canadians to use their stronger dollar to buy up Florida real estate.
The whole article should be required reading for any agent selling to snowbirds in Florida and Arizona. Not that I am saying she is right, do not get me wrong, but articles like this can have a great deal of influence on buyers perspective.
Finding the right way to change that perspective is the role of the salesperson. And that is why if you sell to snowbirds you should read this editorial.
I would concentrate on the opportunity cost lost. Canadian winter or Florida winter, not a hard choice in my mind…
The bottom line is that unless you want to buy something and stay in it for 20 years be very wary or rent. Things are going to get worse before they get better. The next shoe is beginning to fall as banks must go from merely writing down the defaulted interest on three months of mortgages to writing down the difference between their outstanding mortgage and what the properties fetch, or will fetch, on the market. via the National Post

Pingback by A Walk on the Dark Side | Jameson on 1 August 2008:
[...] steal Florida yet – National Post via Real Estate Bloggers – Diane Francis – 30 July 08 I wrote a series of posts this winter about cherry picking properties [...]
Comment by St. George townhomes on 1 August 2008:
With the way the real estate market is going right now there are a lot of people who are looking at real estate differently. St. George Utah is a big retirement community in the United States like Arizona and Florida. We have seen retirees invest differently.
Comment by jozappala on 5 October 2008:
There are Florida homes still viable and definitely worth looking at.
Check out mine in St. Petersburg.
Virtual Tour SAYS IT ALL… SLEEK MODERN and MOVE IN READY! CHECK IT OUT!
Comment by sell and rent back on 28 April 2009:
This is really great news.
Comment by Kara Holt on 9 December 2009:
Land lease home ownership can be an affordable option for out of state “snowbirds” due to the low initial investement, criminal background check requirements, low maintenance and active retirement lifestyle. Many of these properties can be leased on a short term basis during our “season” if the home owner chooses not to use the property during the prime winter months. This can offer the advantage of convenience for those who want the freedom to come and go as they please and the flexibility of covering costs associated with this type of homeownership through rental income.
State laws should be reviewed before any purchase as rights and fees may vary depending on the type of community.
-Kara Holt