Homebuyers from Tampa to Naples increasingly arrive from new states

Real estate agent Jeff Shelton spent a recent week with two buyers — one from Chicago and one from California — who sought to relocate to Florida.

‘It’s almost like the buyer pool doubled overnight. It’s the craziest thing. I’m working with tons and tons of people from California.’ Drew Russell, Michael Saunders & Co.

How Shelton spent his week is representative of what’s happening more broadly on the west coast of Florida: traditional feeder markets in the Northeast and Midwest, like Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New York, still bring buyers to the area, but of late states from California to Texas and many in between are also becoming prevalent sources of buyers.