Economic Forecast 2018

Prolific area homebuilder Pat Neal, when talking about the economy, sometimes speaks in terms of movies: He's been building homes since 1970, so he's seen the recession movie at least five times, he likes to say.

In Neal's telling, then, the 2018 economy on Florida's Gulf Coast will be in the lead to win Best Picture.

“Things are as good this year as they've been any year of the 47 years I've been a homebuilder,” says Neal. He cites a positive economy, low taxes and a burst of demand coming at a time of low supply as the key reasons for optimism.