Leaving Florida

Selling Your House Before You Move Out of Florida

If you are leaving Florida, selling your Central Florida home is usually the biggest piece of the move. A September 2026 report by 24/7 Wall St. names insurance, housing costs, property taxes and storm risk among the reasons people go. Kris Persaud helps owners in Clermont and nearby towns sell, including owners who have already moved away.

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Kris Persaud · Watson Realty Corp. · 1390 N Hancock Rd, Clermont, FL 34711

Kris Persaud and his wife on a courtyard walk

The reasons

Why Are People Leaving Florida?

Costs come up first. A September 2026 report from 24/7 Wall St. on retirees who left the state points to rising property insurance (and insurers pulling back), hurricane deductibles and storm risk, property tax bills that jump for newer buyers, and housing and utility costs that rose sharply and stayed high.

Condo owners face their own pressure. The same report describes special assessments and higher association dues after Florida's condo safety and reserve rules, which can make older condos harder to sell.

Other moves are personal: being closer to family, a new job, or a change of pace. Whatever the reason, the steps to sell the Florida home are the same.

The numbers

Is Florida Still Growing?

Net migration to Florida, 2025: +201,191
Census estimates via UF Shimberg Center, reported July 2026
Net migration, 2022 peak: +598,737
Same source
Change, 2022 to 2025: About −66%
PMG calculation from the two figures

Yes, more slowly. According to a University of Florida report from July 2026, using Census estimates compiled by UF's Shimberg Center for Housing Studies, Florida added a net 201,191 residents through migration in 2025, about 551 a day. That is roughly two-thirds below the 2022 peak of 598,737.

So people are still arriving, just fewer than before. For a seller, that means buyers are out there, and pricing and condition matter more than they did in the rush years. The Shimberg Center's Anne Ray tied part of the shift to housing costs, with movers looking beyond the largest urban counties.

Destinations

Where Are People Moving?

U-Haul's 2026 Midyear Migration Trends report (July 29, 2026), based on one-way moves from July 2025 to June 2026, ranks South Carolina and North Carolina first and second for baby boomers. Tennessee, Texas and Georgia also make the top ten for at least one generation. Florida itself ranks in the top ten for all four generations.

The U-Haul report ranks where movers arrive, not where Floridians in particular go.

North Carolina
South Carolina
Georgia
Tennessee
Texas

Timing the move

Should I Sell First or Buy First?

Sell first

You know exactly what you have to spend, you carry one mortgage, and buyers see a firm sale. The catch: you may need a short-term rental, or to ask the buyer to let you stay a few weeks after closing.

Buy first

You move once and have the new home ready. The catch: you may carry two homes, need a bridge loan or cash for the down payment, or make an offer that depends on your Florida sale, which some sellers will not accept.

Many leaving owners land in between: list the Florida home, line up the next one, and match the closing dates as closely as the contracts allow. A lender can tell you what you qualify for while you still own the Florida home.

Referrals

Can Kris Help in My New State?

Kris is licensed in Florida, so he sells the Florida side. For the home you buy next, you will want an agent licensed where you are going.

His reviews show it has happened before: a 2018 Orlando seller says Kris sold the house, connected them with a realtor in another state, and helped their daughters find a condo rental.

A short checklist

Before You Go

Ask your insurer how your policy changes once the home is empty.
Ask the county property appraiser how your homestead exemption ends when Florida is no longer your permanent home.
Ask a tax professional about any tax on the sale before you sign a contract.
Keep utilities on and the lawn cut until closing.
Leave a set of keys with someone local you trust.

Already gone? See selling a Florida house from another state for the step-by-step process, or ask for a home value review first.

Questions

Leaving Florida: questions

Why are people leaving Florida?

Recent reporting points to property insurance, housing costs, property taxes, condo assessments and storm risk (24/7 Wall St., September 2026).

Is Florida still growing?

Yes, more slowly. Net migration was +201,191 in 2025, down about 66% from 2022, per Census estimates reported by UF's Shimberg Center in July 2026.

Where are people moving from Florida?

U-Haul's 2026 midyear report ranks the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia among the top ten arrival states for at least one generation. It does not track Florida leavers alone.

Should I sell first or buy first?

Selling first gives certainty about money; buying first means moving once.

Can I sell after I have already moved?

Yes. Kris's Zillow reviews include sellers who lived in New York and Texas at the time of the sale.

Keep reading

Selling your homeAgent or cash buyer, the steps to closing, and what Kris's sellers say about working with him.Selling from out of stateStep by step: how to sell a Clermont-area home while you live in another state.Home value reviewAsk Kris what your Clermont-area home could sell for, based on recent nearby sales.Short salesHow a short sale works, how long lenders take, and the short sales in Kris's Zillow reviews.Contact KrisCall or text 407-341-9813, or send Kris a message.

Planning a move out of Florida?

Call or text Kris to talk through selling your Central Florida home and timing it around your move.

Call or text 407-341-9813