Wealthy Buyers Seeking the Tranquil Side of Florida – “Real Estate Matters” April 4, 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.

Welcome to the tranquil side of Florida. High-net-worth people are fleeing high-tax states, but not all wealthy people want to live in Miami or Palm Beach. Since January 2021, 557 million-dollar-plus Flagler County homes have been sold via MLS after being active on the market for a median of only 33 days, well below the overall Days On Market (DOM).

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 4-4-2026

Recorded 4-2-2026

Welcome to the tranquil 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. VerandaBay.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

March nearly final stats –

280 SFR homes sold – at a median price of $385,495. DOM is 64. Last March, 247 SFR homes were sold at a median price of $356,900. DOM=62 last year

7 homes have been sold for $250K or less, 1 for cash, and a DOM of 46

15 homes have been sold for $1M+ with DOM =46. Eight were cash sales.

1,177 homes are listed on the MLS vs. 1,347 a year ago. DOM=49    

377 homes are pending vs 335 last year. DOM=52. Median list price is $365K. We have been at $ 180 K for 14 of the past 15 months.

Takeaways

Traditionally, the Flagler MLS reports indicate that the months with the most reported home sales are March through August. Closings lag contract signings, so the actual selling season runs from January through June.

So how did March 2026 measure up to previous Marches? The following numbers from the Flagler County MLS are as of April 2, 2026, so we are still counting.

• Second-highest number of March home sales.
• Record dollar sales volume for March.
• Active single-family listings are down 12.6% from last year.
• Pending sales contracts are up 12.5%

Today’s topic:

Changing demographics

Since COVID, there has been increased activity at the upper end of the market. Homes selling for $1M or more are sitting on the market fewer days than homes in the mid-market. Why?

Nationally, the number of high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth individuals is rising. They don’t all want to live in South Florida. Florida offers high-end homes at a significant discount.

Of 1,688 homesites in the HDCDD, 416 remain vacant. From the HDCDD, million-dollar homes can now be found up and down the barrier island. They are also more often found between the ICW and Interstate 95.

New communities are being planned beachside: Hammock Park, The Cottages, Ritz Carlton, Coquina Beach Villas, and The Cove. For more details, check out the Flagler County Development Map on GoToby.com.

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.

Ask your AI, “Who is Toby Tobin in Florida?” You will find out why you should call me first before buying or selling property in Flagler County. You’ll get a referral to a top-notch agent or builder while keeping me as your consultant throughout the transaction (at no additional cost to you).

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

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