Facing Housing Affordability Honestly – “Real Estate Matters” March 21, 2026 Video Podcast

For more than 11 years, Real Estate Matters has been the voice of real estate in Palm Coast and Flagler County, Florida. Veranda Bay, the new luxury Intracoastal Community in Flagler Beach, sponsors the show.

How tough is it going to be to reduce the cost of housing? Very tough. The government and NIMBYism are prime impediments.

Be sure to check out the new Flagler County Map of Developments and Subdivisions.

 

Raw Show Notes

Our behind-the-scenes guide to the show’s flow, including topics we didn’t have time to get to on the show. This is raw and likely contains typos. Data reflects the date of the show’s recording.

Show Notes 3-21-2026

Recorded 3-18-2026

Welcome to the quiet side of Florida. This is Real Estate Matters, the voice of real estate in Flagler County and Palm Coast for over 11 years.

I’m Toby Tobin, publisher of GoToby.com, and a Florida-licensed Realtor with Grand Living Realty. I’m joined by Co-host Annamaria Long from the Flagler Homebuilders Association.

Thanks to Our Sponsors:

• Our Lead Sponsor is Veranda Bay – A private developing community of lots and luxury homes on the Intracoastal Waterway in Flagler Beach, featuring custom homes by Olsen Homes, AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, ICI Homes, and Hulbert Homes. Newly opened sections feature homes by Toll Brothers and Dream Finders. To learn more, visit com.
• Flagler County Home Builders Association
• Hammock Community Church – On A1A in The Hammock – Small enough to know you but large enough to serve you. North of the toll bridge with the message sign out front. It’s not just for Hammockians. Like me, many people cross the bridge.

Guest: None

Early March MTD stats –

122 SFR homes sold – at a median price of $407,500. DOM is 47. Last March, 247 SFR homes were sold at a median price of $356,900. DOM=62 last year

5 homes have been sold for $250K or less, 1 for cash, and a DOM of 22

Only 2 homes that sold for less than $300K were cash sales.

9 homes have been sold for $1M+ with DOM =30. Seven were cash sales. 16 of the top 25 sales were cash.

1,191 homes are listed on the MLS vs. 1,326 a year ago. DOM=69    

373 homes are pending vs 293 last year. DOM=60. Median list price is $382K. We have been the $180Ks for 14 oof the past 15 months.

Takeaways

Last month we noticed a decided drop in the $1M+ market while the $250K and under market surged. March seems to be headed in the opposite direction. It’s still early in the month, but if that trend holds, expect an increase in the median price. If so, it doesn’t necessarily mean that prices have risen. More likely, it will signal a shift in the market, favoring luxury homes over lower-priced investment properties and first-time homeowners.

Today’s topic:

How tough is it going to be to reduce the cost of housing? Very tough.

Cost of financing:

Interest rates affect the housing market. Several years of low rates have trained the public to expect low rates again.

To finance infrastructure, more developers are turning to Community Development Districts, which add another layer of governance and administrative overhead to each new subdivision.

Loan qualifying standards remain high, as they should. We learned the lesson of the 2000s housing bubble.

Cost of land:

The most easily developed land has already been developed. Low-lying land and properties with large wetland areas and scattered uplands require mitigation and clustering. They almost always involve a master planned development. MPDs create an artificial layer of pseudo-government to develop and maintain the new community’s infrastructure. Community Development Districts add yet another layer.

The time required to move vacant land to a permitted parcel continues to expand. Extending the development time. So too do the costs of battling extended legal challenges.

Cost or construction:

Reduce site construction time

Overlap pad and structure schedule

Minimize exposure to the weather

Reduce insurance and maintenance costs

Materials are not likely to become less expensive, but automating some processes can yield incremental cost reductions.

Structured, insulated panels (SIP)

Factory-built sub-systems

Pre-wired panels

3-D printing

Robotic block laying

The biggest challenge will be to overcome the labyrinth of local codes and regulations.

Japanese homebuilders are gaining a foothold on the US home construction industry.

National builders with Japanese parents include Richmond American, Meritage, and Ryan Homes

Japanese builders are innovative. They also have access to cheap money and a long view towards investments.

Wrap up:

Video podcasts of Real Estate Matters are available on GoToby.com. Click on Podcasts on the top navigation bar. Show notes are included so you can see what we didn’t get to on the show. Also on GoToby.com – the Flagler County Interactive map of residential developments and subdivisions, updated regularly.

If you have a question or a suggestion for Real Estate Matters or GoToby.com, reach out to me.

(386) 931-7124 or email me at Toby@GoToby.com

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