Florida has six of the nation's most overvalued housing markets

WLRN Public Media | By Kimberly Miller, Palm Beach Post

Published May 9, 2022 at 8:14 AM EDT

A home with a "Sold" sign is shown, Sunday, May 2, 2021, in Surfside. The median price of a single family home in South Florida is at least $500,000. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Six of the nation’s top 25 most overvalued housing markets are in the Sunshine State, which can expect to see a “prolonged period of unaffordability” even as prices in other regions of the country cool.

Recent studies by three South Florida universities and the University of Alabama point to the same high demand and low inventory as reasons for the homebuyer and rental angst experienced since the start of the pandemic, but the research also found future population growth in Florida will extend housing woes.

Fort Myers led the state as the most overvalued market in April with homebuyers paying 51% more than they should based on historic pricing trends, according to a study by Florida Atlantic University and Florida International University. Lakeland was runner-up, with homes overvalued by 50%, followed by Tampa (49%), Melbourne (44.5%), Sarasota (44%) and Daytona Beach (44%).