More Residential Communities for FL During a Down Market!
It This Need or Greed?
In June, 2026, Tallahassee passed SB 1434 to help developers build on former commercial and BROWNFIELD lands.
This helps to clear the path for development of more residential communities in places that previously were overly costly due to regulations, and/or considered unsafe.
This, while Florida is not in a strong sellers market. The Florida housing market is currently in a transitional phase characterized by shifting demand dynamics, growing inventory, and rising costs.
Insurance and ancillary costs have long been a problem for Florida home owners, also. Many people have moved to states like TX, TN, GA, and elsewhere to escape these.
Florida’s housing market, localized of course, is already stabilizing into a buyers’ market as increased supply outpaces demand. The median sale price hovers around $394,000, down slightly year-over-year. Homes are spending a median of roughly 69 to 84 days on the market, and rising insurance and HOA costs are tempering buyer interest, say the national experts.
Real estate experts, Redfin, Zillow and Realtor.com, agree that Florida has an excess of residential structures, and has become a buyer’s market. For the uninitiated, this means that those shopping for a home, can “bid down” a piece of property below asking price, because there are, basically, more sellers than buyers.
The uncertainty of the energy and taxation structure in the state, along with “mounting pressures—including underwater mortgages, foreclosures, and persistent unemployment concerns—have placed several Florida housing markets among those in the nation, considered “most vulnerable”, to future price declines.” say real estate experts.
Of the 50 highest-risk markets, 12 were in Florida, nine in California, and five each in Illinois and New Jersey, according to the first-quarter housing risk report from real estate analytics firm ATTOM.”
Tallahassee, however, doesn’t seem to care.
At the beginning of June, Tally passed legislation that will facilitate residential development of former commercial areas, such as defunct golf courses and shopping centers - ALONG WITH environmentally impacted parcels—such as “brownfield” areas—by preempting strict local zoning laws and streamlining administrative red tape.
A “brownfield area” is defined as abandoned, idle, or underutilized commercial or industrial property where redevelopment is complicated by real or perceived environmental contamination. You know, like gas stations, fuel storage areas and mining lands.
WHY?
Historically, real estate developers have not avoided these newly addressed sites because they are unfamiliar with the issues. Rather, brownfields often carry substantial costs and risks associated with environmental remediation, community opposition, and lengthy approval processes. As a result, many industrial and environmentally impacted properties throughout South Florida have remained undeveloped.
I’m guessing that those environmental remediation costs and risks are what will be “preempted” in discussions with the developers, after the passage of SB 1434, which is designed to encourage residential redevelopment on qualifying brownfield sites by streamlining approvals and creating a more predictable development process.
Thousands of Floridians have experienced many adverse health effects from the “perceived” environmental impact of the phosphate mines, e.g. However, the state never recognized what was happening to their citizens because the mines were considered essential to the Florida job market.
And, the companies give good donations.
Thus, people impacted by the effects of the mining processes were basically written off.
As a matter of real fact, according to my research, the 2021 documentary, Phosfate, is considered “anecdotal and activist-driven evidence” by state regulators and the phosphate mining companies. Those who have been sickened and have lost loved ones - even pets!- to the “anecdotal evidence” know it is very real.
The thousands of Florida residents impacted by the Mosaic mines alone have fought the State of Florida about this for years. Once again, I beg you to see PhosFate online, if you have not already. It will help you get to know your legislators and their priorities a bit better. You will also meet people who work in the mines who have been told that their lives will be shortened by doing so.
https://tubitv.com/movies/629398/phosfate
Keep an eye on this, Florida. Housing demand is stagnant in many areas of the state, but new communities are going to be built, with Tallahassee’s help, on lands formerly considered inappropriate for development.
As the markets do not seem to support the need for developers to be given special assistance to build on these challenging parcels at this time, the reasons behind legislation like SB1434 seem to revolve around greed. Not “need.”
Sorry. Guess I shouldn’t be so harsh…
Tally and real estate developers are just good pals, and the Florida legislature wants to help them through rough spots.
It is sad that the government does not feel that way about its citizens.
Blessings,
Kat