Floridians Fuel South Georgia R. E. Growth
With rising home prices making the Sunshine State less desirable, more and more Floridians are coming to Sumter County, Ga., to buy second and even permanent homes, reports the Americus Times-Recorder.
Property values, hurricanes and overcrowding have made Floridians take a long look at South Georgia in recent months, much like the recent South Carolina real estate and Alabama real estate trends.
Lynn Mills, a real estate agent with Coldwell Banker, explained that Florida homeowners can often get property here for less than half of what they pay in Florida.
“It seems like more and more people are coming from Florida. They are fed up with the overpopulation, the high price of real estate, the congestion. Some people even retire here. Some of the groups like the older homes. There seems to be demand in several different areas,” Mills said.
Some transplants are buying their principal residences in Sumter County, while other Florida natives are buying hunting tracts, recreational real estate and vacation properties. The proximity of South Georgia does not make travel to and from the Sunshine State a difficult task. Mark Pace, of Southern Land and Realty, echoed Mills’ assessment.
“Americus is the perfect place for people from Florida to move to. We have a lot to offer with our hospital and our colleges,” he said.
Pace said his real estate firm is seeing increased numbers of people from Florida coming up and looking at property, and has recently sold to some Florida residents. It’s all about getting the most out of your money — and trying to invest in an area that is up and coming, rather than already overvalued after by five years of double-digit annual appreciation.
It’s no surprise that Georgia real estate is on the rise with the many factors that have pushed the Florida housing market through the roof. But all hope is not lost. With higher Florida home loan rates expected this year, and sellers already dropping their prices, you should be able to get a better deal than you think back home as well. Especially if you wait a few months.
