Highlands County FL Real Estate - Highlands County FL Homes For Sale | Zillow (2024)

FAQs

Is this a good time to sell a house in Florida? ›

Spring and summer are the best times to sell your house fast - and the best time to get the highest price for your home. Specifically, houses sell for the most in June, followed by May.

What the Numbers Say. The Ramsey Solutions research shows that housing prices in Florida have gone up, especially when comparing the fourth quarters of 2022 and 2023, respectively. At the end of 2022, the median sales price of a Florida home was $401,990.

Here in Highlands County, you and your family can enjoy the Sunshine State lifestyle envied all over the world, at a much lower cost than other areas. Highlands County's cost of living is about 15 percent lower than the state average.

Real estate experts predict a continued housing shortage, and because they expect high buyer demand to keep pushing home prices up, 2024 may be an ideal time to sell. Experts also anticipate a leveling out of 2023's elevated mortgage rates, expecting rates to eventually settle around 6% – 7% in the spring.

Is it a buyer's or seller's market in Florida? It is considered a seller's market right now. Housing inventory is up since last year, which means supply is less constrained. Mortgage rates are 7.2%, making the average house payment $2,855, which is $360 higher than a year before.

According to Zillow, home price appreciation is expected to slow down significantly in the coming years, with a predicted increase of only 3.4% for 2024. This could provide relief to buyers who have been priced out of the market in recent times.

Even so, Florida tends to follow many of the same patterns as the rest of the country, with lower home prices in the late fall and winter and more housing availability in the spring and early summer.

What is the cheapest place to live in Florida? ›

Lakeland

The cost of living in Lakeland is 8.4% lower compared to the national average. It is the cheapest place in Florida to live and well-connected. Lakeland's affordable food, health, housing, and transportation facilities make the city one of the cheapest places to live in the US.

If getting the lowest price possible is your main priority, consider searching for a home in November or December. There won't be as many houses to choose from compared to the spring and summer months, but you'll face less competition and a higher likelihood of purchasing a home below the asking price.

Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Sebring, FL grew from 10,832 to 11,006, a 1.61% increase and its median household income grew from $32,607 to $38,024, a 16.6% increase.

The minimum combined 2024 sales tax rate for Highlands County, Florida is 7.5%. This is the total of state and county sales tax rates. The Florida state sales tax rate is currently 6%. The Highlands County sales tax rate is 1.5%.

In 2022, the median household income of Highlands County households was $53,679. Highlands County households made slightly more than Columbia County households ($53,501) and Citrus County households ($52,569) . However, 11.4% of Highlands County families live in poverty.

It's difficult to predict whether home prices in Florida will go down. Various factors come into play and the outcome remains uncertain. However, based on the current market momentum, it appears that the price growth may slow down, with potential decreases in some areas.

The real estate market in Florida is hot right now, making it an exciting but challenging time to buy a home. Prices are going up, and there are lots of bidding wars. But Florida is still a great place to live because of its tropical feel, no state income tax, and many things to do.

In Florida, it takes an average of 96 days to sell a house. That's 21.5% slower than than the national average of 79 days. On average, homes in Florida sit on the market for 61 days, and it typically takes 35 days to close once an offer has been accepted.

The increased inventory of single-family homes for sale and falling prices are attractive for new Florida investors and first-time homebuyers. The median price of a single-family home dropped 2.9% from Dec. 2022 to January 2023.