July 22, 2025 | Mark Luis Foster

We are always scouting for HOA trends across the land, and the state that is seeing some significant seismic shifts of late is Florida, particularly around the Orlando area. During the “COVID years” there was an explosion of HOA buying, when people from all over the nation were snapping up condos in that area like they were going out of style. Sadly, they are now indeed going out of style…

From Orlando News Channel 10:

– Pandemic-Era Buyers at Risk: Roughly 1 in 6 homeowners who bought during the peak of the pandemic may sell at a loss in 2025, particularly after factoring in selling costs and modest home value declines.

It turns out that the ever rising HOA fees of $1K or more per month are pushing people out of their condos and back to single family homes. This market reset may see a correction of home prices in the 20-25% loss range, according to the report.

The news channel quotes real estate expert Brenden Rendo, who provides this advice for Orlando sellers and buyers:

Expert Guidance for Sellers: Rendo advises Orlando sellers to “price realistically and present flawlessly.” Homes are sitting longer on the market, and buyers are scrutinizing every detail. “Presentation and competitive pricing are no longer optional; they’re essential,” he notes.

What Buyers Should Know: Buyers now have more leverage, especially in the condo space. However, they should factor HOA fees into their total monthly budget. A high HOA can reduce purchasing power by $200,000 or more.

Of course there are several factors driving these shifts in Florida, including the aforementioned rise in HOA fees, reductions in value, and the not mentioned, but ever-increasing, HOA insurance coverage. All this against the backdrop of the uncertainty of mortgage rates that may or may not be cut to pre-Covid levels anytime soon is a recipe that may be ripe for duplication elsewhere.

Is Florida a bellwether for the rest of the country? We’ll have to wait and see. Their full report HERE.